Fates Interwoven
by Aikori Ichijouji
Summary: Kyoko Mogami is working diligently prove her worth as an Enchantment Spellweaver. When she's paired with the guild's golden boy, she aims to rise to the occasion despite being a lowly Class 1. What secrets will they uncover about each other along the way? AU
1. Threads

**GUESS WHO'S BACK: So I took a nice break after finishing my last story to enjoy the holidays, go to another con and become Mystic Messenger trash for a month (that last one happened completely by accident, I swear). I had a weird idea for an AU fic and decided to give it a try. It was originally supposed to just be a one-shot but I ended up expanding on it. Get ready to join me for another adventure with your favorite pair, and mine. Anyway, I hope you like it.**

* * *

Kyoko hastily threw her hooded cloak around her shoulders as she hurried out of the dormitory and down the precariously uneven stone steps on her way to the guild's Main Edifice. The familiar weight of the grey wool settled around her and staved off the chill that had developed in the air on this particularly drizzly day. Passing a group that had gathered to the side of the pathway, she bowed and touched her forehead with two fingers in respectful greeting when she noticed the braided cords on their hoods. When they nodded in response, she continued on her way.

The anticipation of this week's assignment had her giddy with excitement; something she rarely felt since she moved up to Class 1 Weaver (Enchantment Division) in the Spellweavers' guild. She would be working with the latest batch of students under the cross-training program famously crafted by Grand Enchantment Archweaver Lory Takarada. All Provisional Weavers — those who are currently enrolled in Spellweaver school — are required to cross-train for one week each with the other nine guilds. The Grand Archweaver was a firm believer in encouraging awareness and respect between all guilds; something he felt was currently lacking in society.

This week, Kyoko would be escorting the Provisionals to work with the Healers. She had a deep admiration for their practices and work ethic in their clinics. There was something about their crisp, white tunics and their hard-earned logic that never ceased to amaze her. Despite Spellweavers also having the ability to create quick drafts for healing minor injuries and sickness, Healers have centuries of extensively researched methods that treat the many maladies that weaver drafts could never accomplish.

The large, ornate front doors of the Main Edifice opened before her as three other Class 1s made their way outside while giggling between themselves. Kyoko tried her best to ignore the hushed whispers passed between them when they noticed her heading inside. She was well aware of the negative attention directed towards her when she gained her Provisional status two years behind her contemporaries.

However, it was pointless to let the sideways glances and muttered comments about being 'the Grand Archweaver's Pity Project' get to her. Her goal is what kept her moving forward. Ever since she parted ways with the man she supported as he rose through the ranks of the Sonic Spellweavers, the man she grew up with and who inevitably betrayed her, she worked to find her own purpose. To live for her own desires instead of those of someone else. It just so happened that she was especially adept at enchantments. She clutched at her amulet through her cloak and headed towards the main hall.

* * *

After a briefing on the week's training module, the Provisionals had their credentials updated in their amulets and were ushered to await the transports to take them to the Healer Main Edifice where they would begin their first day of lessons. There, Kyoko met up with her best friend, fellow escort and Class 1 Weaver, Kanae. This was a rare occurrence since Class 3 through 1 Weavers are typically assigned smaller, menial tasks all over the city. They hadn't seen each other in over a month. She nearly skipped over to her friend's side when she spotted her, but stopped herself when she realized she was in front of students and, instead, strolled quickly over to greet her.

"I can't believe it's been so long," she encircled an unwitting Kanae in a tight hug. "I missed you so much!"

"Yes, yes, I missed you too," Kanae awkwardly fought to break free from the embrace. "Would you stop that? We have Provisionals to attend to."

"I'm sorry, I was just overjoyed to see you again!" Kyoko released her with a large smile and eyes twinkling with delight.

In all honesty, Kanae was also quite happy to see her friend. Having been stationed on the outskirts of the city doing random odd jobs for 6 weeks was nothing short of dismal. It was a welcome change to have such a bright spark of energy and enthusiasm around her again.

A light tap on Kyoko's arm caused her to turn around and address one of the Provisionals in her friend's group, a petite student by the name of Gin. The small girl brought her fingers to her forehead and bowed slightly before turning her big brown eyes up at her in wonder.

"E-excuse me, Weaver Kyoko," she began nervously. "The other Provisionals in my class told me you had a special amulet."

"Well, that's true," Kyoko replied, slightly confused. "But everyone gets the chance to retire their starter amulet and create their own when they graduate from Provisional to Class 3 Weaver."

"No, they said they heard yours was different from the others," the girl pushed. "They said your stone was different."

"Oh! Well, I suppose it is," she conceded.

"We want to see it," she demanded excitedly before remembering herself and bowing her head once more. "T-that is, if you don't mind, Miss Kyoko."

Kyoko looked at Kanae as if to ask her permission, to which she nodded and shooed her away with two hands.

"Go on and show them," she said as Kyoko turned towards the group of Provisionals that suddenly gathered behind her. "The transports don't arrive for another 10 minutes."

Reaching into the neck of her cloak, she pulled at the sturdy cord from which her amulet hung until it appeared. The group of students tightened their cluster around her to stare at the bright blue stone with jagged edges that was elegantly wrapped in wood and metal twisted together in an intricate pattern. As the small crowd studied the amulet closely, one of the students towards the back piped up with a question.

"I only see a blue stone. What's so special about that?"

"I'm glad you asked," Kyoko chirped. "Let me show you."

She held the amulet out between her thumb and forefinger and slowly tilted it back and forth to let it catch the light. Each pair of eyes staring at the stone widened as they saw the color of the stone change back and forth between rich blue-violet and brilliant amber in the light. Smiling proudly, she carefully tucked the amulet back beneath her cloak. There were bound to be questions and she didn't want to risk it getting damaged in any way.

"What draft did you use to make it do that?" Gin was the first to speak up.

"None, actually," she explained. "The stone naturally looks like that."

"It must be a very rare stone," another student chimed in. "Where did you get it?"

Kyoko looked wistfully into the distance as she replied, "It was given to me by a dear friend when I was just a child."

"Who was it? Do they have any more?"

"I was quite young at the time and I haven't seen that person in the years since," she said sadly. "However, they are supposed to have only one other stone like mine. But that one belongs to them."

Kanae listened to their eager questions with a slight smile. The story behind the amulet stone was one she knew well as Kyoko had confided in her late one evening in the Provisional dormitories. At the tender age of 6, the poor girl found a dusty old Spellweaving book in her parents' library and tried to use a draft to change the color of her doll's dress. Instead, she ended up changing her hair color from deep brown to a shocking shade of orange. Distraught and fearing her impending punishment, she ran into the forest behind her house and didn't stop until a stream blocked her path.

It was there that she met a boy, only a few years older than her, who asked why she was crying. Between hiccups, she explained her predicament to him. He placed a hand on her hair and she heard him whisper strange words. Looking at her reflection in the stream, she saw her natural hair color had returned. She was immediately in awe of his abilities and the curiously rare and crooked blue stone he carried in his pocket that he said he would make into his amulet when he became a Spellweaver. They became fast friends and, for two weeks, they regularly met up at the stream and played together until he announced that he was headed back to Central City with his parents. He said he wanted to attend a preparatory school to help him get into the Spellweaver guild.

Sad about losing a new friend, she asked if they would ever meet again. He replied by breaking his stone in half with a quickly murmured draft and handing her a piece. Shocked by his kindness, she swore she would never forget him and wished him well in becoming a Spellweaver.

"Do you think you'll ever find them again?" another one asked.

"I don't know," she shrugged. "I doubt they'd even remember me."

The Provisionals collectively groaned in dismay and began to chatter among themselves about what type of stone it could possibly be. Kyoko smiled at this and turned back to her friend who regarded her with an even stare and folded arms.

"You ever get tired of the spotlight, Kyoko?"

She laughed at the question. "At least this kind of attention is better than people making assumptions and talking about me behind my back like they usually do."

"You're right," Kanae agreed. "Thank goodness the majority of the Provisionals respect you more than the other Weavers."

Kyoko was about to respond, when another person appeared next to them, abruptly silencing their conversation. They were about to gesture towards the person out of habit until they recognized who it was. Sporting a cloak that now had a second gold braided cord stitched along the hood, Hikaru Ishibashi grinned at both ladies and casually waved.

"Hey Kyoko, Kanae," he spoke while still smiling.

"Hikaru! Or, should I be calling you Master Weaver Ishibashi?" Kyoko asked.

"No need to be so formal with me, Kyoko," he waved her off with a hand. "I was still a Class 1 like you until I got my official designation last week."

"What brings your esteemed self all the way down here," Kanae teased. "I thought you would be free of the grunt work by now."

"I'm here to bring this one up to the Grand Archweaver," he pointed at Kyoko. "He has specifically requested her assistance today."

"But I'm supposed to be helping out with the cross-training this week," she was confused and noticeably flustered. "Who is going to escort my group of Provisionals?"

"Chiori is being reassigned to be your replacement," he explained. "She'll be here shortly."

Kyoko turned to Kanae with a sad pout. This was supposed to be her week to catch up with her best friend. But, she would never disobey a direct order from the Grand Archweaver. Kanae noticed her distress and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"I am back in the dormitories for the whole week," she said calmly. "We can always meet up later, okay?"

Kyoko nodded and gave her a quick hug before leaving to follow Hikaru to the Grand Archweaver's chambers.

* * *

The Five Tenets of the Guilds were written long ago when the ten guilds were first established. Grand Archweaver Lory Takarada took them very seriously and used every opportunity he could to remind other Spellweavers of their importance. As such, a gilded stone plaque with the Five Tenets inscribed on it adorned the heavy double doors to his chambers. Kyoko spent a minute re-reading them before announcing her presence.

 _FIVE TENETS OF THE GUILDS_

 _1\. All Guilds shall work together in harmony._

 _2\. NO Guild is more important than the others._

 _3\. NO Guild is less important than the others._

 _4\. Each citizen should be equally considered for the Guild of their choice on their own merit._

 _5\. As each member is respectful of their Guild, so should each Guild respect their members._

She smiled as she read the words, knowing that Tenets 2 and 3 were the Grand Archweaver's personal favorites. He was well aware of the fact that many Spellweavers considered themselves to be an elite class and looked down on the other guilds as inferior. It became his personal mission to break the younger generations of that notion. While he wanted them to have pride in their guild, he also wanted them to be aware that they were still merely a part of one of ten integral guilds that allow Grismeir to function as a unified nation.

Breaking from her reverie, Kyoko sharply rapped twice and waited for permission to enter. The doors silently swung open before her and she saw the shimmer of what appeared to be a soundproofing spell dissipate before her. Slowly walking into the room, she stopped once the doors closed automatically behind her and bowed deeply while making the gesture of respect to her superior.

"You called for me, Grand Archweaver?" she asked while still bowing.

"You can stand up straight, Kyoko," he said in a friendly tone. "Come, have a seat."

As she straightened up, she saw the Grand Archweaver motioning towards the set of plush chairs with deep emerald upholstery arranged around a table on one side of the room. It was then that she noticed he was not alone in his office. Seeing the tall, dark-haired figure sitting in one of the chairs with three gold braided cords on his hood, she immediately resumed her bow and quickly repeated her gesture of respect towards them.

"My apologies, Archweaver Tsuruga," her cheeks took on a pink tint of embarrassment. "I did not see you when I walked in."

"That is quite alright, Weaver Mogami," he smiled politely and nodded. "It is good to see you again."

The chairs suddenly seemed much further away as she timidly walked towards them and quietly sat. Lory quickly drafted some tea from the can of loose leaves and cups resting on a nearby credenza. A warmed cup floated into her hands with a flourish as he sat down towards the head of the table. Kyoko was now even more puzzled as to why he called her to talk with both him and the Archweaver seated across from her.

Ren Tsuruga was currently the youngest to ever achieve an Archweaver designation a mere four years after graduating to Class 3. He was well known around the halls of the Main Edifice as a highly skilled Spellweaver capable of successfully weaving a number of complicated drafts; not to mention notably attractive, if the swarms of female weavers who attempt to catch his eye on a regular basis are any indication. Kyoko had several interactions with him once she became a Class 3 as she would occasionally be assigned small tasks such as various errands or retrieving documents for him from the Archives. While he was always kind and respectful, she always felt like he was silently judging her abilities. It was not necessarily a bad thing as it encouraged her to always improve. She hoped one day to be evenly matched against him.

"Well, Kyoko, I'm sure you're wondering why I pulled you away from your assignment today," he noticed her meek nod in response and continued. "I have recommended you to be Ren's research partner for a particularly complex draft request we received from the Intelligence branch of the Defenders."

"I appreciate your confidence in my skill, sir," she began to protest. "But, why not assign a Master Weaver to this task? Surely they would have more experience and knowledge than I."

"Ah, overly-modest as always, Kyoko," he chided her playfully. "You were specifically chosen _because_ of your experience. I've seen the innovation with which you weave your drafts and how vigilant you are when evaluating prototypes for potential errors. You are precisely the person we need for this task."

"Th-thank you, sir," she stuttered and turned towards man seated across from her and bowed in her seat. "I will do my best on this project to which you have both entrusted me, Archweaver. Please have me assist in any way you see appropriate."

Returning her bow, he finally spoke, "I look forward to working with you, Weaver Mogami."

For the first time, Kyoko was able to get a good look at his amulet as it fell forward through the opening in his cloak when he bowed. Never before had she seen an amulet where the stone was completely enclosed. Spellweavers usually took pride in the stone they chose for their amulets and made settings that showcased them. Instead, his was hidden within a nautilus shell made of interlocking pieces of highly polished wood.

 _'Maybe he is just very cautious about not damaging his stone,'_ she thought

Amulet stones were the focal point of an Enchantment Spellweaver's energy and allowed them to recall any previously created drafts for easy reuse, as opposed to Sonic Spellweavers who relied mainly on their instruments. It was impressed upon all Provisionals that they should be protected from chipping or cracking as it not only damaged the integrity of the stone, but could have adverse affects on the Weaver as well.

* * *

Kyoko followed closely behind Ren as he walked swiftly through the third floor of the Main Edifice to the research laboratory he was using. She kept her eyes fixed forward so that she would not be distracted by the stares of others as they walked but she could discern their expression by the tone of their voice. An excited, high-pitched group of female voices she heard on their approach soon turned to harsh, conspiratorial whispers once they were past; jealousy and disdain evident in their speech. It was not hard to guess what they were saying.

They came to a door at the far end of a hallway that he unlocked with a draft. After making a soundproofing seal on the door, he directed her to a large desk, upon which several large books were opened. In the center, lay the official request from the Defenders. He handed it to her to read and her eyes widened as she scanned the words on the paper.

The request sounded simple, but she knew well how difficult it would be to actually pull off. The Defenders wanted a draft to allow them to have multiple layers of disguise that could be removed and reapplied at will in order to maintain full anonymity during scouting missions. On top of that, they needed to be hyper-realistic so that the disguise appeared as natural as second skin. Accomplishing one layer of disguise was fairly simple, but supporting more than one would be quite the challenge.

"Alright," she sighed lightly, placing the paper back on the desk. "Where would you like me to start?"

"I pulled the notations from the archives detailing how the currently used disguise draft was prototyped, thinking I could build on that," he pointed to one of the opened books as spoke. "Unfortunately, I'm not coming up with any ideas. The patterns are too tight to allow for modification."

She moved around the table to get a better look at the book he identified. After scanning the pages briefly, she slammed the book shut and expelled a rather large cloud of dust. The look of shock was clear on his face as she fanned the dust away from her eyes. Smiling, she moved the book to another nearby table and cleared an open space on the desk. When she turned to look at him again, he was still gaping at her incredulously.

"That means we will just have to start from scratch," she said determinedly.

"We do not have that much time," he groaned while he pinched at the bridge of his nose. "The Defenders need this by the end of the week."

"A-alright," she faltered, but soon regained her purposeful look. "Then we need to take a new approach. Let us look at drafts that accomplish similar tasks and how we can incorporate them."

"Fine," he dropped his hands to his sides in defeat. "What do you suggest?"

Kyoko placed her hands on the now empty desk area, drafted a pen, paper and ink and sat down.

"Why not make a list of all the modification drafts we can think of first? Maybe we will find something we can use from there."

"I suppose that is a start," he said with resignation as he pulled a chair from the other side of the desk to sit beside her.

They spent the next several hours looking up any and every modification and transformation draft they could find; including those for inanimate objects as well as people. Once a sizable list was generated, Ren made the decision to call it a day and tasked Kyoko with researching the drafts for each one during the following day. Upon leaving the laboratory, he told her to place her hand on the door alongside his. As she did so, she looked up at him questioningly. Using a different draft than the one she saw earlier to unlock the door, it suddenly began to pulse with a low blue light.

"Go ahead," he urged. "Make an unlocking draft and mine will record both your palm, amulet signature and your voice to give you access to the room."

She did as he instructed and the glowing disappeared from the door in an instant. Her hand slowly retracted from the door ad she continued to stare at it.

"The door will now only open for either one of us," he explained. "Since this is classified research for the Defenders, confidentiality is important. I'm sure I do not have to tell you that you cannot discuss this project with anyone else."

"I understand," she nodded. "But, what if I also need to lock the door on my own?"

"Simple, you only need to reverse your unlocking draft," he said with an odd smile.

"Oh," she silently cursed herself for not thinking of that.

"I must be going now. Have a good night, Weaver Mogami. We shall reconvene first thing in the morning."

"Ah, good night, Archweaver Tsuruga," she gestured towards him. "I will see you tomorrow."

* * *

 **SOME PARTING WORDS: I wish I could stick to an update schedule but work, and my own motivation, often get in the way. However, I will work hard to keep things as regular as I can if there is enough interest. Looking forward, as always, to hearing from you all.**

 **AUTHOR OUT!**


	2. Weft

**GREETINGS ADVENTUERES: Your faithful author here. I am doing my best to work on this story while implementing a buffer. That is, I do not release a chapter until I have completed (or nearly completed) the one to follow it. So far, it seems to be working out well and I get to go back and re-read the chapter before release for edits which helps keep past events lined up in my head for future chapters. Anyway, enough babbling and enjoy your new chapter!**

* * *

The next morning, Ren looked up from his spot at the desk to see the laboratory doors open and Kyoko stumble inside. Her arms were full of what appeared to be wooden limbs and other various body parts. She dumped them unceremoniously in a pile on the floor and took a moment to catch her breath before greeting him properly. Noticing his quizzical glance at the heap near her feet, she smiled sheepishly.

"I got in touch with an acquaintance from the Framers guild that I met during my cross-training," she crouched down and started fitting the pieces together as she talked. "She agreed to lend me one of her mannequins in exchange for some fabric coloring drafts."

"And why did you think we need a mannequin in here?"

"I thought we should have a life-sized test subject for our prototypes," her voice was strained as she lifted the torso on to its stand. "And since you said confidentiality was important, this one will have no problems keeping its mouth shut."

"Good idea," he smiled at her. "I can see you thought carefully about a solution. This should work quite nicely."

Ignoring the blush that threatened to creep up her face, she continued attaching the arms to the torso. Never had she seen him smile that genuinely before; not that he never smiled. But it always seemed guarded and false. Kyoko took pride in the fact that she vowed to no longer be a frivolous woman but _this_ particular smile needed to be accompanied by a warning label.

In a few minutes, she had it fully assembled on its stand and placed off to the side in the laboratory. She nodded in appraisal at her handiwork and turned towards the desk to retrieve the list they created the day before. When she picked it up, she noticed small notations had been made in the margin, each with lines drawn to several draft names.

"I took the liberty this morning of noting which books you'll need to retrieve to cover everything on our list," she heard his voice on the other side of the paper she was currently scrutinizing. "I thought it might help expedite your trip to the archives. Additionally, I've added my seal to the sheet to let Chief Scribe Sawara know you have my express permission to access those volumes."

She slowly lowered the sheet and gaped at him, "You mean you were able to just recall the names of all these books off the top of your head?"

"When you have spent as much time as I have on various research," he chuckled. "You will most likely know them all by heart as well."

"I suppose I should make my way down there now," she said, tucking the page into her cloak.

"If you can think of anything else we may need, be sure to save yourself a trip and get that as well," he suggested. "There is an Archweaver gathering in an hour so I may not be here when you return. I will leave you a note if there is anything important you should know."

She nodded briefly before gesturing to him and made her way back out the laboratory door. Ren sighed and smiled warmly at the door as it closed behind her. It had only been a day and she was already turning this project on its head with an enthusiasm he rarely saw anymore. It was no secret that the Grand Archweaver had his own reasons for this collaboration, but he was happy that he went along with his request all the same. She was the only one he wanted for this project.

* * *

He returned to the laboratory, late into the afternoon, to find Kyoko perched on a chair and frantically attaching copies of draft diagrams to any open space along the wall that she could find. The mannequin, now set up in the center of the room, was adorned in an old tunic and a pair of slacks. Both pieces appeared to have been colored an appalling shade of bright green. Redirecting his attention towards the petite girl, he saw she had hopped off of the chair on which she stood and was backing away from the wall while assessing what she had done.

"I am beginning to wonder if this is how your dormitory room looked in advance of your practical exams," he folded his arms and surveyed the wall full of diagrams.

Kyoko's entire body jolted at the surprise of suddenly hearing his voice. She was so engrossed, she never even heard the door open. Eyeing him warily as he slowly walked along the wall, looking at the papers hanging there, she awaited a sharp reprimand from him for carelessly cluttering up his research space.

"I am so sorry, Archweaver," she gestured towards him with a deep bow. "I was having trouble looking at the draft diagrams side-by-side that I may have gotten a bit carried away. They can all be taken down if you wish."

"No, leave them for now," his words stopped her mid-step as she made her way back towards the wall. "If you think this setup will be beneficial, I am not opposed to giving it a try. I am, however, quite curious to know why the mannequin is suddenly so… alarmingly dressed."

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "I wanted to start with an obvious base color so we could clearly see whether or not the disguise layers were adequately covering each other and not showing through."

"You really have thought of everything, it seems," He said with a hint of admiration.

"I have found that the best way to tackle a problem like this is to prepare as much as possible for any contingencies," at that moment, her stomach chose to growl loudly. "I have also found that you should never tackle a problem on an empty stomach. Have you eaten yet, Archweaver?"

"I can have a meal brought up for you, if you would like, but I am not hungry."

"Oh, did you eat at the gathering?"

"No, I have not eaten since early this morning."

He noticed her looking at him oddly when he said that. Watching her walk to a side table towards the back of the room, he saw her pick up two brown paper packages. She turned around and walked towards him with the bundles. When she got closer, she offered him one with an outstretched hand.

"I picked these up earlier when I went to the Archives," her eyes were full of concern. "I know you said you were not hungry but you should not go so long without eating. We are taught that an effective Spellweaver takes care of both their mind _and_ body."

"I would have picked up some bread on my way home this evening, but thank you," he said while slowly taking the package from her hand and placing it on the desk.

"Are drafts not as physically draining for you as they are for most Spellweavers?" she asked with her head cocked to one side.

"No, I believe they affect me the same as every one else," he answered, confused by her odd question.

"Then, perhaps you are restricting your caloric intake for health reasons?"

"I am not watching what I eat if that is what you mean," he wondered where she was going with this. "Why are you—"

"Then, if what I learned from the Healers is correct, you should be eating as frequently as I do, if not more so," her eyes were downcast and her fingers gripped her own parcel tighter as she spoke. "Please excuse my forwardness, Archweaver, but I really think you should eat something. I would never forgive myself if you collapsed from exhaustion."

When she looked back up, their eyes met; worry clearly evident on her face. He helplessly looked between the package on the desk and her, unsure of what to do next. It was not often when he would eat in the middle of the day as he had grown accustomed to steering clear of the dining hall altogether. Ever since the female Spellweavers began to frequent the hall just for the chance to see—and possibly eat with—him, he made himself scarce at meal times. The Grand Archweaver would jokingly refer to them as his 'adoring fan club' but Ren did not find it the least bit funny.

Compared to them, the woman who stood before him was quite different. She looked at him with genuine concern about his eating habits rather than the predatory leer that made him feel as if he were about to be the meal instead. Nonetheless, he could stomach a few bites since he knew there was no chance of her backing down. Perhaps he should have answered 'yes' to one of her questions. It would not be the first lie he ever told.

Sitting down at the desk, he carefully opened the brown paper wrapping to reveal a vegetable and egg tart of some sort. The flaky golden crust had crumbed a bit around the edges where the wrapping was too tight, but the filling remained pristine. Ren instantly felt hunger pangs in his stomach as the aroma of the tart hit his nose. He broke off a piece and shoved it quickly in his mouth. It was good; better than good. It was probably the best damn thing he had eaten all year.

"Pretty good, right?" she noticed the stunned look on his face.

"This is delicious," he admitted. "Wherever did you find this?"

"There's a small bakery nearby run by a couple I apprenticed for back when I thought about entering the Servers' guild. I figured I could get some food for us while paying them a quick visit at the same time," she unwrapped her own meal and took a bite.

"You were going to be a Server?" he asked, dubiously.

"I… considered it, yes, as I had some prior training," she answered carefully after swallowing. "But, that was a different time and I enjoy being a Spellweaver much more."

Noticing her guarded words, he abandoned his next question. She appeared to be uncomfortable with talking about her past before joining the guild. The enthusiasm she displayed while encouraging him to eat immediately dissipated upon this change of topic. It was almost as if a sudden chill had developed in the air around them. A tense silence settled in the room as they continued to eat. He watched out of the corner of his eye as she stared at the drafts on the wall between bites, her brow furrowed as if she were searching for a distraction from some unpleasant thoughts that invaded her mind.

"So," he cleared his throat, deciding to break the silence and refocus her on the task at hand. "Would you like to suggest how we should go about analyzing these drafts now that they are all here?"

"Perhaps we should categorize them between whether they are a physical alteration or a visual one," she mused while still looking towards the wall, her last bite of tart inches from her mouth. "And then go through the more complex drafts first, saving the simpler ones for last."

"Why not evaluate the simpler ones first?"

"The complex ones would be easier to eliminate, would they not?" she turned to him for confirmation. "Since they are the ones with the smallest capacity for changes."

"I suppose," he shrugged. "I have many of the simpler drafts memorized so those might be easiest for me to go through first."

"Of course," she exclaimed in self-admonishment. "I should have considered that. I am so sorry, Archweaver, please forgive my rashness. It will not ha—"

"Stop," his sudden commanding tone halted her in her tracks. "I may outrank you in title but, when we are in this laboratory, we are equal. We are both here to complete a job. Together. Understand?"

She opened her mouth to apologize again but the look in his eyes caused her to snap it shut and nod meekly.

"Good," his voice softened. "Now there is no need for any more apologies. If you make a mistake, simply admit it and we can start working on a solution. We only have a few days remaining so we cannot let ourselves get bogged down by formalities."

Realizing she was not being scolded, she nodded again more firmly, "You are absolutely right, Archweaver."

She felt a chill run up her spine as she saw his lips curl into a smile. It was the smile she dreaded seeing as it was the one that meant she had done something wrong. The atmosphere crackled like a static charge mere breaths away from release.

"What did we just get through establishing?" he prompted.

"That you and I are equals in this lab and there is no need for formalities," she confirmed.

"Yes, and what did you just call me after that?"

"Archweaver—oh," she noticed the inconsistency. "Then, what am I to call you? We are taught to respect the rank of those above us at all times."

"I have a name," he reminded. "And you are allowed to use it while we are in the confines of this space."

"Oh, I could never," she began, visibly flustered. "What—what if I accidentally use it elsewhere?"

"Someone as careful and prepared as you? I highly doubt it," his smile suddenly turned genuine and she almost winced at the brilliance of it.

"Alright," she said quietly, already planning in her head how to avoid ever having to use his name.

"Is it safe to assume that I am also allowed to call you by your given name?"

He watched as her face turned bright red and suddenly drained itself of all color. A slight smirk played at the edge of his lips. She took a deep breath before responding.

"You may do as you wish," she tried her best to keep an even tone despite the sudden onset of nervousness caused by his suggestion.

"Then let us finish eating and get started, shall we?"

Dividing their list equally between them, they each sat down to evaluate the drafts one by one. Kyoko had taken care to pin them to the wall in alphabetical order, thus making them easy to take down for further inspection and replace afterwards. As she worked her way through her half of the list, she carefully marked a star in the top left corner of each page so she knew she had already looked at it since she only made small notes on a select few. She made her way through nearly two dozen when she realized she had been neglecting to go to the restroom for the last hour. Rolling her eyes at her own foolishness, she abruptly rose from her seat and made her way to the door. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ren's head lift to see where she was going.

"I, um," she pointed at weakly towards the door, awkwardly avoiding his eyes, "I will be right back."

"If you are going to the restroom, you can just say so," he smiled and shrugged casually. "We _are_ spending the week holed up in this laboratory together; it was bound to happen eventually."

A nervous, breathy laugh escaped her as she awkwardly stepped backwards pushed at the heavy wooden door to slip out into the hallway. Making her way down the hall, she was thankful for the late hour as it was nearly empty, allowing her to reach her destination swiftly without having to stop and gesture to her superiors every three feet. Being the only Class 1 on a floor typically inhabited by Master and Archweavers had many disadvantages. Case in point were the two Master Weavers exiting the ladies' lavatory just as she approached.

"Look, Miya, we found Archweaver Tsuruga's new pet," the taller woman jeered as Kyoko gestured towards them. "And she has been let off the leash, it seems."

"I bet he's probably grown tired of her yapping and following him around all day," the other one said with a snort.

Years of being the object of ridicule was not lost on Kyoko. She learned how to wisely pick her battles and when to back down. However, being accosted on her way to the restroom when she was already in a hurry somehow irked her enough that she could not ignore them. Opening her eyes as wide as they could go, she tilted her head to one side and looked at them with mock confusion.

"Is something wrong with you or do you only understand your master's commands?" the one named 'Miya' taunted, waving a hand in front of her face.

"Oh goodness, no, I heard you perfectly well," she shook her head slowly and brought a finger up to her chin and pouted innocently. "Though I cannot understand why you would try to insult when I do not value your opinion in any way."

The pair, visibly embarrassed, scoffed and quickly moved past her. Kyoko let out a breath she did not realize was still trapped in her chest and continued on her mission. Moments later, she carefully peered out into the hallway to make sure it was empty before heading back to the laboratory. The last thing she wanted to deal with was a second round with those two harpies.

She was nearly home free, a mere twenty steps away from the door at the end of the hall, when she heard a door open beside her. Stepping quickly, she moved past it in hopes she would not have to make eye contact with whoever was there and continue on her way. The last voice she expected to hear called out to her. She stopped, like a cornered animal, and her blood ran cold. Against her better judgement, she turned around to face the person behind her.

* * *

 **YOUR SOCIAL BUTTERFLY AUTHOR WANTS TO TALK AGAIN: Ooh, sassy Kyoko is sassy! And we have our first cliffhanger out of the way! My current progress with writing this has been fairly consistent so new chapters _should_ come out faster.**

 **Okay, so we've seen mention of several other guilds now in the story, so if you're having trouble getting** **the gist of what professions they would entail, here is a handy guide:**

 **Framers: these are the 'makers' so they would include artists, designers, seamstress/tailors, etc.**

 **Healers: medical professionals**

 **Defenders: military**

 **Scribes: clerical, documenting and organizational professionals; think secretaries, personal assistants, office managers, project managers, librarians, bookkeepers/accountants, et. al.**

 **Servers: these include hospitality professionals such as chefs, restaurant owners, house keepers, innkeepers and shopkeepers.**

 **Each guild has different sub-departments that are more specialized but you'll see some more of that as we go along. Well, that's enough chit-chat for now.**

 **AUTHOR OUT!**


	3. Warp

**HELLO WORLD: I honestly wasn't expecting to get through these chapters so fast, but I'm happy I can keep the story going with more frequent updates than my last one. Apologies if this chapter feels shorter than the others, I can promise the next one will be longer since I'm nearly done with it already.**

* * *

"Who said you could be on this floor so late?"

She took a deep breath and pasted on her most neutrally professional expression before responding with a gesture, "My apologies, Master Weaver Fuwa, I did not see you there."

"That doesn't answer my question, Kyoko," he sneered. "What are you doing here?"

"I am working on a research project in one of the laboratories," she strained to control the anger roiling inside her. "If you would excuse me, I must be heading back now."

In two steps, he was beside her, gripping her wrist in his hand to stop her from turning away. She narrowed her eyes at him and scowled.

"I would be most appreciative if you would please release my my hand," she spat from between clenched teeth.

"Not until you tell me why you're really up here," he demanded harshly. "Only Archweavers are allowed to use the labs on this floor and there's no way you became an Archweaver before me. So, why are you here?"

"She was assigned to Archweaver Tsuruga as his lackey this week," a disembodied female voice came from the room Kyoko assumed he had just exited.

She watched as a curvy, blonde Master Weaver emerged from the room, adjusting her cloak around her neck. Kyoko noticed her smoothing down her mussed hair and it sickened her. Her stomach turned as she watched the woman blow a kiss at him before walking away. Turning an indignant glare on him, she wrenched her arm free from his grasp while he was distracted.

"Perhaps I should be asking what _you're_ doing here instead, _Shotaro,_ " her voice dripped with venom as she folded her arms and stood her ground.

"That's none of your business. I can go wherever I please, unlike you," he barked, clearly irritated. "So, whose ass did you have to kiss to get to work for Takarada's golden boy?"

"No one, the Grand Archweaver personally selected me for this," she raised her chin slightly to look down her nose at him. "And I don't work _for_ him. I work _with_ him."

"That's one hell of a lie you've cooked up there, Kyoko," he laughed coldly. "There's no way a talentless Class 1 would get assigned to work with an Archweaver. You don't have to try so hard to impress me. You're the one who left _me,_ remember?"

"Believe me, I haven't forgotten," she snapped. "And don't think for one second that you still have any influence on _anything_ I do. Now, if you'll excuse me, again, I'll be on my way."

"I didn't say you could go anywhere," he moved his hand towards hers again but she stepped backwards just out of his reach.

Kyoko continued to back away when she collided with something tall, sturdy… and human.

"That is unfortunate as I was hoping she would help me plan our next steps for tomorrow," a deep voice rumbled behind her.

Her face went crimson in an instant and she stood, stiff as a board, as the person placed their hand on her shoulder. Too petrified to move, she looked straight ahead and tried not to flinch.

"I do not know why a Sonic weaver would have any business in the Enchantment wing so late in the day. All the same, I would appreciate it if you would refrain from delaying my research _partner_ any further," Kyoko could not miss the way he emphasized that she was his partner, rather than his subordinate.

"Whatever," came the huffy reply. "I hope you two have fun on your little project."

And with that, he turned and sauntered off down the hallway. The weight of the hand on Kyoko's shoulder lifted as she slowly regained her composure. She stiffly followed the Archweaver's retreating figure back to the laboratory doors, letting them close softly behind her. Wringing her hands, she tried to fight back the shame and embarrassment that threatened to engulf her.

"How long were you there?" she blurted out towards his back.

"Long enough. I heard raised voices in the hallway and came out to investigate."

"I know you said that I should not have to apologize, but there is no excuse for my behavior out there. I should have just ignored him."

He halted his steps to turn and face her, "Perhaps you would, instead, like to enlighten me as to why a Sonic Master Weaver was harassing you in the hallway?"

"Would you like the long version or the short version?" she cringed at the thought of explaining herself.

"I will take whichever version you prefer to give me," he raised an eyebrow at her and folded his arms across his chest.

"He was my next-door neighbor when we were children and we were… close," her left hand clasped her right arm tightly as she spoke. "We ran away from our homes in Kato together to move to the city so he could get into the Spellweavers guild. I had worked for two years as an Apprentice Server to support his studies when I overheard him telling a colleague that he could never love a 'common Server' and he only kept me around as a surrogate parent to look after him." She shook her head sadly and continued, "Mind you, he comes from a family of highly ranked, and respected, Servers. Well, we had a rather heated disagreement because of that and I left to pursue my own studies as a Spellweaver."

"So, you joined this guild try to win him back?" anger and disappointment laced his tone.

"Absolutely not," she nearly shouted; taking a deep breath, she continued. "I was always interested in Spellweaving, since I was very young, but his parents were training me as a Server around the time we left. My mother was rarely around after my father passed so I spent most of my time at their house. They assumed he and I would marry and take over their business. I was good at it, but I was not passionate about it. This is the path I chose for myself. I want nothing more to do with him."

"I see."

"Please believe that I did not mean for you to get involved in this," her voice got quieter as she continued. "I will understand if you would like to ask the Grand Archweaver to remove me from this project."

"Considering how hesitant you were to talk about your past earlier, I believe you," he sighed lightly. "And I have no desire to lose any further progress on our research. I trust you will not let this interfere with our work?"

"You can count on me," her face brightened with relief. "Thank you, really."

"Good, then let us return to our assignment," he returned swiftly to his desk. "I would like to swap lists tomorrow so we can go through them with a fresh pair of eyes."

"Oh! That's a great idea," she exclaimed and walked towards her workspace.

Another two hours passed as she completed her list of drafts. Throwing herself into her work seemed to be the best way to keep her mind off of the confrontation in the hallway. Her face set into a grimace of concentration, she speedily worked through the remainder of her list. After marking a star on the final sheet, she sat up and stretched languidly in her chair. She could see it had gotten quite dark outside to the point that the crystal spell lanterns on the walls had automatically activated bathing the room in a warm, ambient light. After replacing the sheet to join the others along the wall, she looked to where Ren sat to find him rolling his shoulders and tilting his head from side to side. He looked up at her when he had finished.

"That was my last one," she said triumphantly.

"What a coincidence," he picked up the sheet from his desk and stood to place it on the wall. "I am also done."

He was not about to tell her he had reached the end of his list twenty minutes prior as that would preclude her finding out he had spent that remaining span of time silently watching her. There was something calming about observing her carefully studying each draft. The way her tongue tucked itself firmly in the corner of her lips and her brow lightly wrinkled in concentration was mesmerizing to him. While it was obvious she was not actively trying to be alluring, he was fascinated all the same. It perplexed him how this tiny, spunky spitfire worked her way under his skin in two short days.

Granted, he immediately recognized her the first time they encountered each other two years prior by the blue stone hanging from her neck, her black hair now cut short and golden eyes as dazzling as ever. Never did he dream he would meet that girl from days past who cried and clasped her doll tightly as if it were keeping her afloat on a stormy sea, vibrant orange hair hanging in her face. At first, he thought she joined the guild in search of him; wearing the evidence of their connection boldly on her person. It made him happy despite the fact that he knew he never would be—never could be—recognized in his current state. His ego suffered a significant bruise when her recent revelation proved otherwise, compounded by the way her speech pattern was so relaxed around her former friend—or was he a lover? There were not enough details to be sure.

"Shall we call it a night, then?"

"If my mind had any remaining capacity for additional thoughts, you would have read them," she said with an exhausted sigh.

"Feeling a little overloaded?" he laughed.

"Very much so."

Gathering their things and quickly straightening up their workspaces, they prepared for their departure. They locked the laboratory door and, walked while talking idly, down the main stairwell and out of the Main Edifice. Kyoko paused on the main walkway in front of the building, assuming they would say their goodbyes and go their separate ways. He stopped a few steps ahead of her, realizing she had lagged behind, and looked back at her confused.

"Are you also going towards the dormitories?"

"Yes."

"Oh, I assumed you lived in private housing."

"I do."

"Then why—"

"I am escorting you," he shook his head with a smile. "You should not have to walk back in the dark by yourself."

"You did not need to," she smiled back shyly. "But, thank you."

Kyoko was beside him again in a few steps and they continued their walk together towards the dormitory building. Stealing sideways glances, she watched the easy grace with which he strode along the walkway. He seemed to be carefully metering his steps to allow her to easily keep up with him, keenly aware of their differences in height. His eyes darted back and forth at their surroundings like he was expecting someone to jump out of the shadows. Thinking about it, she realized it was entirely plausible for Sho to attempt a second encounter by waiting outside for her. Though she was confident she could handle it, this current arrangement was less stressful and she was appreciative of the gesture.

Despite their unhurried pace, the walk seemed much shorter than she ever remembered it being. When they reached the dormitory entrance, Kyoko turned to gesture towards her escort before going inside. Looking at him, she saw his mouth set in a grim line and his eyebrows pushed towards each other as if he were seriously considering whether or not to speak his mind. She looked at him expectantly to try to urge him on. His chest heaved as he took a deep breath before opening his mouth.

"In regards to earlier, I wanted to thank you for sharing that with me. I realize it was something rather difficult for you to talk about and you would have preferred keep it to yourself," his eyes were sympathetic as he spoke. "You must know that I will not betray your confidence."

"I am grateful for that," she said quietly, looking off into the distance.

"You should also know that I hold your talent in high regard just as the Grand Archweaver does. It was a mutual decision between both of us to assign you as my partner. No one should ever call your skill as a Spellweaver into question. And that includes yourself."

"Well I—thank you," she had no idea what else to say, he floored her with his praise.

"I should not delay you any further. I will see you in the morning. Goodnight, Kyoko."

"Ah," she slowly emerged from her stupor. "Goodnight."

It was not until she pulled off her cloak in the seclusion of her room that she realized he used her given name.

* * *

 **YOU WERE RIGHT: To the reviewers who guessed the person that called out to Kyoko at the end of the last chapter, you were right. Not that it wasn't a really easy assumption to make, the odds were definitely in your favor. Stay tuned for the next chapter when we introduce a tiny bit more drama (but not too much). It's always fun hearing from all of you so keep the notes coming!**

 **AUTHOR OUT!**


	4. Treadle

**TWO UPDATES IN ONE WEEK, HOLY CRAP: Did I not promise you a much longer chapter this time around? Well, as luck would have it, I made really good progress on the next chapters so you guys get an early update! What luck!**

* * *

Being the first to arrive at the laboratory the following morning was not something Kyoko anticipated. As Ren had a reputation for always being on time, she assumed he had an early appointment elsewhere. It was possible he had forgotten to inform her of it the night before. Therefore, she decided to take the initiative and begin going through the list on his desk, leaving hers in its place for when he arrived.

He arrived an hour later, trudging slowly throw the door with stooped shoulders. Kyoko eyed him warily when he entered as she sensed something was off. When he dropped, gracelessly, into his chair and stared blankly at the sheet she left on his desk, she knew this was not normal. She approached him slowly, like a shy animal, so as to not startle him.

"Are you alright?"

"I am perfectly fine," he waved a hand dismissively. "Why do you ask?"

"Your face looks a bit flushed," she squinted at him. "Are you sure you are not coming down with something?"

"Impossible. I never get sick," he shook his head vigorously. "I'm just a little tired."

"Then, why are you suddenly sweating?" she deadpanned.

"I am?" he mumbled dazedly.

Kyoko appeared at his side with what seemed to him as almost inhuman speed. He watched with clouded eyes as she scrutinized him closely. Mumbling a quick apology, she tentatively reached out a hand to rest the back of it lightly against his forehead. A sigh escaped his lips as he felt the touch of her cool hand on his skin. He found he was strangely disappointed when she removed it shortly afterwards. Looking up at her again, he saw her lips pursed in a grim line.

"You have a fever," she said with a slight frown.

"And that means?" he prompted.

"Your body is raising its temperature to fight off an infection," she saw his eyes glaze over and looked at him again pointedly. "It means you have a cold."

"Impossible," he repeated. "I never get sick."

"You keep saying that and yet, here you sit, with pale, clammy skin and a fever,"

folding her arms, she sighed. "How did you even walk in here without someone else noticing?"

He let his head bow forward until it touched his desk and wrapped both arms securely around it before letting out a frustrated groan. This was the last thing he needed and the timing could not be worse. They only had a few more days left to complete the project with minimal progress made thus far. His head shook back and forth while she watched him with a peculiar expression before walking to the water pitcher on the small table near the door.

Activating the draft to refill the pitcher, she pulled a crisp, white handkerchief from her cloak and carefully poured water on to it. A quick chilling draft made the cloth in her hand suddenly ice cold. She turned back to him with the now-dampened handkerchief in hand. The morning sunlight must have been particularly bright streaming in through the laboratory windows, as she noticed it caused Ren's hair to appear almost golden in color. It faded the instant he raised his head off the desk to look at her.

"…you're the first," she heard him mumble.

"What?" she stopped momentarily on her way back to him.

"You're the first person to actually see me this morning," he explained. "I have a way of getting here without ever setting foot outside."

"How?" she stopped beside him and looked confused.

"I made a portal calling draft that connects my front door to this lab so I can come directly here every morning."

"Remind me to be impressed by this later, because I have a number of questions that are not really important right now," gently tilting his head back, she placed the handkerchief on his brow. "Are you able to return the same way?"

He nodded slightly, then stopped when he felt the cloth slipping down his face.

"Good, then let us go get you home and back in bed."

"You'll have to stay here."

"And trust you, who tried to come to work with a fever, to take care of yourself?" she asked incredulously. "No deal."

"It's my draft. I'm the only one who travels through the portal."

Her hand forcefully met her face and Kyoko chided herself internally. Of course he would be the only one to be able to travel through it. It would be terribly insecure otherwise, leaving a portal that opens directly to a private residence. She looked back at him with a sigh and he continued to stare at her. Did his eyes look a little green just then? Shaking her head with the assumption that she was seeing things, she looked instead to the bag sitting on her workspace.

"Then, there's one thing you need to do before you go back," she moved towards the bag and reached inside it.

"What's that?"

Pulling a jar out of the bag, she presented it to him, "You need to eat this."

Peering dubiously at the jar of what looked to be vegetable soup, he shook his head. "I'm not hungry."

"I'm going to guess that you haven't eaten at all for the morning," his lack of protest confirmed her suspicion and she continued in an authoritative tone. "Therefore, your body needs energy in order to heal. You _will_ eat this and then go home and rest. Got it?"

He realized it was useless to fight back and, reluctantly, picked up the now-opened jar and the small wooden spoon she set beside it and began to eat the contents. It was either still warm or she had warmed it with a draft while he was not paying attention. Nevertheless, the mild flavor soothed the irritation in his throat he only just noticed. He kept eating, under her watchful eye, until the spoon scraped the bottom of the jar. She promptly took the jar away from him and replaced it with a glass of water.

"Drink," she commanded and he obeyed silently. "It's important for you to stay hydrated.

Once he finished, she nodded at him and motioned towards the door. Taking that as his cue to leave, he slowly got up from his chair and walked over to the entrance and placed his hand on the knob. Mumbling a strange phrase and tapping it twice with his thumb, it glowed with a bright white light before it changed to one of pulsating green. He looked back at Kyoko before turning the knob.

"Thank you," he said softly.

"You're welcome," she matched his tone. "Go get some rest and I will get you some medication from the nearby Healer clinic. I'll leave it here by the door for you and then go inform the Grand Archweaver of your condition. Check back here in an hour or so, alright?"

Nodding again, he realized her handkerchief was still perched precariously on his head. He reached up to remove it and return it to her when she stopped him with a raised hand.

"Keep it," she urged. "You'll need it."

The door softly clicked shut after his departure and Kyoko let out a long sigh and placed her hands on her hips as she looked around the empty laboratory. Thankful that she decided to bring soup for lunch, she picked up the empty jar and placed it back in her bag and returned the glass to the table next to the door with the pitcher. After searching for a scrap of paper, she wrote a short list for herself and tucked it inside her cloak. As there was no point in delaying any further, she swiftly left the laboratory to visit the Healer clinic.

* * *

An hour and a half later, a head with shaggy, straw-blond hair poked cautiously through the laboratory door and looked inside. Breathing a sigh of relief after noticing Kyoko was not inside, the upper half of a body followed the head inside as it craned to see the small paper bag sitting on the floor just inside the room by the door. Picking it up, they saw a small note was attached to the bag with familiar handwriting;

 _Drink one of the vials now, and the other in 10 hours. I also included another jar of soup that you should eat between doses. Remember to drink plenty of water. Do not attempt to take any work back with you. I will know and I will_ **not** _be happy. Your priority is to rest so we can finish this together. I hope you feel better soon._

 _~ KM_

A smile graced the face of the reader and they opened the bag to find two small bottles, each containing a milky liquid, and a large jar of soup. Looking around, they noticed Kyoko's bag sitting on her workspace and assumed she was still in the building. They quickly ducked back through the partially open door, taking the bag with them.

In the meantime, Kyoko fidgeted in the plush chair across from Grand Archweaver Takarada's desk. While she felt somewhat brazen for waltzing into his office on her own without a prior appointment, the present circumstances did not allow for such formality. She watched him quickly write a note before sealing it with wax. With a word and a touch, the sealed letter fizzled into nothing; on its way to the intended recipient. Lory looked back at her with a grim smile.

"I have explained the situation and requested an extension from the Defenders," he saw the look of relief on her face. "But I would not get too comfortable. They could very well deny the request depending on their timeline."

"What happens if they deny your request?"

"I would have to re-assign you to another Archweaver to complete the project as you have knowledge of what was already researched," her face fell as he spoke. "I know it will be difficult starting over with someone different, but another guild is counting on us to deliver and we cannot disappoint them."

"I understand, sir."

"I will have another Archweaver on standby just in case," he admired her commitment but could sense her unease. "But I hope, for everyone's sake, Ren is better by tomorrow."

"As do I, sir," she rose from her seat and bowed. "I will take my leave and get back to work."

Lory watched her retreat from his office and wondered if she noticed the current state of her amulet stone. At first he thought the angle at which he was looking caused it to appear as such but, even as she moved, it remained a dull amber color.

"Curious." he mused to himself.

* * *

Upon her return to the laboratory, she noticed the bag she left by the door was now gone. She allowed herself a small smile at this before turning to inspect Ren's desk. Before leaving for the Grand Archweaver's office, she rigged the desk with a draft that would notify her if anything was removed from it. Everything appeared to be the same as she left it and the draft was never triggered. Satisfied that he actually heeded her warning, she resumed her work from earlier in the day.

After completing her second look at Ren's list and several unsuccessful practical experiments with the mannequin, Kyoko reluctantly wrapped up for the day and wandered back to the dormitory building in low spirits. Nothing she tried worked well enough to claim it as a finished product. She tried desperately to come up with something—anything—that would solve the problem. All she could do now was hope Ren would recover by the next morning. The last thing she wanted was to be re-assigned to someone else. She doubted anyone else would treat someone of her rank as an equal.

When she finished changing out of her cloak, blouse and slacks in her room, she sat, defeated, on her bed. Closing her eyes against the glow of the lamp on the desk across from her bed, she tried to will away the negative thoughts circulating in her mind. The sound of shuffling feet outside her door caused her to open her eyes before a soft knock resonated through the wood. Opening the door, she saw her best friend standing before her, she gave her a tired smile.

"I thought I saw your light on in here," she gave her friend a worried expression. "Let's go grab a bite to eat and catch up."

Their favorite dining spot was a fairly long walk from the Spellweaver campus, which suited them just fine as it usually meant it was rarely frequented with other Weavers than themselves. This allowed them to talk openly in peace. Not to mention, the food served there was some of the best in the city. After placing their orders, Kanae looked seriously across the table at her friend.

"Okay, spill," she demanded suddenly. "You looked like someone tried to wound a defenseless animal in front of you when I came to your door earlier. What happened?"

"It's nothing," Kyoko deflected. "Besides, much of it I can't talk about anyhow. Confidentiality and all that."

"Don't make me force it out of you, Kyoko," she threatened but continued with a pout. "I thought we were friends, after all."

Her eyes softened and she splayed her hands out before her on the table. A deep breath prepared her before she began to tell her friend everything; about being assigned to work with Ren by the Grand Archweaver, about Sho's random—and irritating—appearance, about being suddenly thrown into uncertainty all because of a cold and an impending deadline. She felt physically and mentally exhausted after recounting her tale. Thankfully, their food arrived at an opportune time, allowing her a small reprieve before the questions she knew Kanae had began.

Kanae pushed a spoonful of the stew sitting before her into her mouth with a flat hum, considering her first question, "So, what exactly are you upset about? You were essentially forced into this anyway so what do you care if you have to work with someone else?"

"Because this is the first time I've worked alongside an Archweaver as an _equal_. Not as a Scribe, not as an errand girl, an _equal_ , Kanae," she clenched her fist and pounded it lightly on the table before letting out an anguished groan. "Not to mention the fact that I may have to start all over again from scratch on the research. If they even let me help, that is. They'll probably just order me around."

"You're really heartbroken over this," the other girl mused.

"Of course I am!" she all but shouted. "I was given an opportunity to do real, meaningful work that showcased my talents and it could all be taken away tomorrow."

"Well, maybe Tsuruga will ask to work with you for another project later," Kanae shrugged as she loaded another spoonful. "If he's as impressed by you as you say he is, I'm sure he'll ask for you again."

"You're right," she sounded resigned, but hopeful as she idly pushed the food in her bowl around with her spoon. "I'm sure I can deal with whatever happens. Goodness knows I've dealt with worse," she shook her head sadly. "I guess I'll just miss him—well, working _with_ him," she corrected.

Kanae raised an eyebrow at her with a smirk,"Uh-huh."

"Don't look at me like that, Kanae," she rolled her eyes. "You know what I meant."

"Hey, I'm not blind, Kyoko," her friend shrugged. "He's attractive and he treats you with respect. I wouldn't blame you for getting a little moony-eyed over that."

"I don't have time for getting 'moony-eyed' anymore. This is my chosen profession and I need to work hard if I plan to plan to get anywhere with it. I can't do that if I let myself get sidetracked by… _feelings_ ," she spat the word as if it were poison. "That didn't work out so well the last time, if you recall."

"Those are two very different situations and you know it," Kanae warned. "I'm just saying that even if you have a destination for yourself in mind, it can't hurt to enjoy the scenery along the way."

Kyoko shook her head at her friend with a laugh. Thankfully, Kanae changed the subject soon after and they spent the remainder of their meal talking about what each did in the other's absence. They laughed heartily at the recounting of humorous events between basking in the comfortable silence of being in each other's company. Walking back to the dormitories, she noticed her friend's eyes kept drifting down to where her amulet rested. She figured it kept changing in the light as she moved and assumed her eye was involuntarily drawn to it. It was not until they arrived back at Kyoko's door that she decided to address it.

"You've been glancing at my amulet all evening. Is there something wrong with it?" she was about to look down when her friend spoke.

"You mean you haven't noticed the stone?"

"Noticed what?" her eyes widened and her hand immediately went to grasp at the stone.

"It's remained this muddy yellow color the whole time I've been with you tonight."

"Oh," she looked down at it thoughtfully. "It does that sometimes."

"You mean it's done that before?" Kanae was shocked. "Doesn't that concern you at least a little bit?"

Kyoko nodded solemnly, "Yes, several years ago it was stuck like that for days—maybe even weeks—but, it's never affected my ability to use it." she shrugged. "So, I never paid it any mind."

"You said the other piece of it belongs to someone else, right?" Kanae theorized. "What if they, as two parts of a whole, affect one other?"

"Hard to say, since I haven't seen that person since they gave me this," she said in a sad tone, clutching tightly at the amulet.

"Well, when you find them, maybe you'll figure it out," her friend suggested.

" _If_ I ever find them," she sighed hopelessly.

"I was supposed to be cheering you up, not making you feel worse," Kanae consoled. "I'm sorry."

"You did cheer me up," she gave a small smile. "I've resolved to save my worries for tomorrow and whatever happens, happens." leaning forward suddenly, Kyoko gave the long-haired Weaver a grateful hug. "Thanks for coming by. I really needed this."

"Anytime," she returned her hug. "Get some rest, alright? I'll see you again soon."

After they bid each other goodnight, Kyoko readied herself for bed in the hope that her anxieties would not prevent her from falling asleep. Huddled beneath her sheet and soft blankets, she wrapped her fingers around her amulet once more. As her eyes slid shut, she thought that if her stone really was connected in some way to its mate, she hoped to borrow some of the strength of its owner.

* * *

Ren's eyes slowly blinked open and he found himself surrounded by darkness. There must have been some sedative in the bottles of medication he was given as this was the second time that he had fallen into a deep sleep after taking it. Pulling the handkerchief—he marveled at how it was still cold—from his forehead, he sat up and looked around the room. The lack of sun peeking through the drawn curtains told him he had slept for most of the day. He had also sweat for most of it as well, if the thin shirt clinging wetly to his torso was any indication.

Scratching the back of his neck with a wide yawn as he made his way to the bathroom for a quick shower, he realized the overwhelming dizziness he felt earlier had gone away. His fingers grazed over the cord securing his amulet to his neck in the process and he stopped to remove the item from over his head. Touching the spell lamp inside the bathroom, it sprung to life with a low hum and he looked over the amulet in his hand. He braced his thumbs and forefingers in strategic places on the pendant and, with the right pressure and a slight twist, carefully separated the interlocking pieces from each other to make sure no moisture had infiltrated the seams. When the pieces fell away to reveal the stone underneath, he frowned. The stone, resting gently in his palm, had turned a pale gold.

* * *

 **WELL, THERE YOU HAVE IT: Longer chapter, some more plot development and even a number of lingering questions to be answered down the line. Hope this was a good one for you guys. I immensely enjoy the comments and reviews I've been getting. I even use Google Translate on the ones that are not written in English because they're all important to me. So, keep 'em coming!**

 **AUTHOR OUT!**


	5. Heddle

**HAPPY (early) VALENTINE'S DAY: Because I love you all so much, here is your next chapter. I almost forgot to put this up as I'm currently repainting my kitchen so I'm currently typing this with paint-covered hands. Have a great week and I hope to see you again soon with a new update!**

* * *

Kyoko's nerves ate away at her relentlessly as she continued to periodically glance up at the laboratory door. Idly chewing at her bottom lip, she braced herself for the fateful sound of a knock at the door. A knock meant someone other than Ren was on the other side. Someone who, most likely, did not have good news for her. She cursed quietly and tried her best to focus on the book in front of her.

It was not long before the event she dreaded occurred. A sharp knock sounded at the door and she all but leapt from her seat to answer it. Regaining her decorum, she slowed her pace and walked, as calmly as possible, to the door. Letting the door swing with the momentum after her initial tug, she saw a man of slender frame, light-colored hair and wire-rimmed glasses standing before her. He wore the deep green robes of a Head Scribe and held a folded sheet of paper in his hand.

"Class 1 Weaver, Kyoko Mogami?"

She nodded, afraid her voice would betray her, and directed him to step inside the laboratory and shut the door behind them. The last thing she needed was for this to be broadcast down the hallway.

"Head Scribe Yukihito Yashiro, at your service," he proffered a hand to her that she confusedly shook. "The Grand Archweaver has requested that I offer my assistance with your assignment."

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she furrowed her brow and looked at him, "Please forgive me as I was under the impression that I was to be reassigned to another Archweaver to complete this. Is there a particular reason why I am being paired with a Scribe?"

He gave her a conspiratorial look before leaning towards her, "You didn't hear it from me, but Lory paid Ren a visit early this morning and was told in no uncertain terms that you were _not_ to be reassigned and he all but guaranteed you two would be finished by tomorrow."

Shocked by his sudden, casual candidness, her eyebrows lifted, "Oh?"

"Yea, he said he planned to be back in this lab in the afternoon but until then, I'm to help get you anything you need as I have full access to all materials in every Archive across the country," he explained.

"Oh," she said again, not sure how exactly to process this new information.

"I work with Ren on stuff like this all the time," she noticed him eyeing the mannequin oddly as he spoke. "So don't hesitate to ask me for whatever you need."

"Thank you, I think," she ran a hand through her hair and her lips pushed out a sigh of relief. "I may need a moment to process all of this before I can ask for anything."

"No worries," he assured her and, suddenly remembering the paper in his hand, he held it out to her. "Oh, I was asked to deliver this to you."

Taking the paper from him, she saw her name scrawled on the outside in the same writing as the list she was given to take to the Archives two days prior. She carefully unfolded the page to read the contents within;

 _I cannot thank you enough for the medicine, and meals, you provided me yesterday during the onset of my illness. As a result, I believe I will make a full recovery by this afternoon and I hope to join you in the laboratory then. Grand Archweaver Takarada informed me of his intent to reassign you but I assured him you would be capable of continuing on your own until my return. I have asked for my colleague and friend, Yukihito, to be allowed to assist you with whatever research materials you may require. He is an excellent resource and I am confident you will work together well._

 _I regret that I was unable to spend time with you yesterday and hope the Grand Archweaver did not cause you too much distress with his intentions. I look forward to seeing you later today._

 _~Ren_

A light blush dusted her cheeks as she refolded the note. She turned to find the man perched on the edge of Ren's desk, perusing the books on the nearby shelf. Not knowing what she did to be given access to a Head Scribe and express permission to work alone, she tried her best to organize her thoughts. Her hand found her amulet and she looked down to see the stone winking at her in a faint powder blue.

"So, how much do you know about the project?" she asked quietly.

"Very little, actually." turning to her, he shrugged and adjusted his glasses. "Which is usually the case, since these are often confidential matters. I only provide the materials. I don't ask about their intended use."

"I see," she placed a finger to her chin in thought. "So, do I just give you a list of what I need? How do I find you if I need additional pieces?"

He grinned excitedly, "That's _exactly_ what I came here to show you!" He motioned for her to come closer to the bookcase where he was now standing and pointed to an area on one shelf that had a rectangle carved into it with a small draft symbol in the middle. "You see that? All you have to do is write a list, include that symbol on the sheet and place it here. It will be be sent directly to my office in the Main Archives. I will collect whatever you need and the volumes will show up on the shelf here. Ren set this up to make things easier for both of us when he needs things from the Archives."

As she stared intently at the shelf, a nagging thought moved from the back of her mind to the foreground. "Wait, why did we not use this when we started researching days ago?"

"Ah, that would be my fault," he looked askance and ran a hand through his hair. "Actually, I'm the reason Ren got sick in the first place. We met up a few nights back and I told him I might not be available until later in the week as I was recovering from a cold. Apparently, I was still contagious."

"So this is your punishment for getting him sick?" her eyes narrowed and she folded her arms.

"Self imposed, I assure you," he placated her with a raised hand before his lips drew up in a smirk. "Besides, I was quite curious to meet the cute Class 1 he was reported to be working with."

It was an internal struggle to ignore the 'cute' comment but she managed to prevail with a tight smile, "I appreciate you coming all the way here to explain everything and I will send you a list as soon as I go through my notes in the next hour or so." Her smile became wider and more glaring, "Will there be anything else?"

"Uh, no, that will be all," he wondered how she learned to replicate her research partner's deadly smile so perfectly. "I look forward to working with you, Weaver Mogami."

"And I, you. Thank you for your assistance and expertise," she held the smile as she walked him back to the door.

Shutting the door behind him, she leaned against it and pressed her forehead to the cool wood. Another sigh escaped her lips, followed by a chuckle. She soon found herself laughing uncontrollably, shoulders shaking rapidly while her head remained firmly against the door. This all seemed so absurd, she was still having a hard time believing any of it. This was far from what she anticipated doing this week. She was supposed to be spending time with her best friend as they took the current crop of Provisionals for their cross-training at the Healer campus. That's what Class 1 Weavers _did_ ; the grunt work that none of the higher levels wanted to do. Class 1 Weavers did not get assigned to work alongside the guild's rising star, and youngest-ever Archweaver, on a highly-classified project.

When her hysterics finally died down, she took a deep breath, turned around and went straight to the wall on which the draft copies were hung. She looked for each copy on which she noted a question needing further information to answer and carefully removed each one and placed them in a stack on her table. The thought entered her mind that, had Ren been there, he probably could name every book she needed. Shrugging to herself, she found comfort in the fact that he promised to be back later in the day. In the meantime, she would do the best she could to write a coherent information request that would allow her to receive the right materials.

Kyoko took great care to accurately copy the symbol she saw on the shelf onto her list before placing it on the carved rectangle she was shown earlier. She watched the page disappear with a soft whoosh of air. Now, all she had to do was wait. In mere minutes, books began to appear on the empty shelf before her with a muted pop. That Head Scribe clearly was quite knowledgeable if he was able to get his hands on each volume so quickly. While trying to decide which she wanted to start with, a small, paper-bound book appeared on the shelf. Noticing a note sticking out of it, she sidestepped to pluck it from between the pages. As expected of a Scribe, he had beautiful handwriting;

 _It will take me a bit longer to gather several more books for you as they are currently held in other Archives but I hope this is a decent start. This particular one might not suit your needs, but Ren always seems to request it when he works on a difficult project. Perhaps you will find something useful in it as well. Good luck!_

 _~ H.S. Yashiro_

The book in question was fairly nondescript compared to the large volumes beside it bound in elaborate covers of embossed leather and gilding. Kyoko could not discern whether the grey paper cover was the original color or became that way after years of use. The pages on the unbound corners of the book fanned outward and curled slightly. Turning it over to inspect the spine for a title, she saw only the author's name, Hizuri. She recognized it immediately but wondered why the book was so small as that name usually appeared on much larger and well-known texts.

Superior Grand Archweaver Kuu Hizuri was once the head of the entire Spellweaver guild and held the prestigious position of being on the Council of Ten; the country's ruling body comprised of the leaders of all ten guilds. As one of the greatest Enchantment Spellweavers in history, everyone knew about him and his accomplishments were all but beaten into the heads of Provisionals during their training. The official story stated he retired early to start a family in his wife's home country of Cretia. However, as rumors often surround prominent figures, the _unofficial_ story was that he had grown tired of dealing with Guild politics and got out while he still had his sanity.

She thumbed open the front cover and finally found the title, _The Enchanted March_. This was an autobiographical text that covered the Hizuri's early life before he ascended the ranks of the Spellweavers. She had once seen it cited in her history books. But why would Ren ask for this book in particular? What potential answers could be found in an autobiography? It was something she could ponder later when he was there but, for now, she had work to do. Placing the small book back on the shelf, she turned to heave one of its larger counterparts from where it sat and slowly walked it to her table. It was going to be a long morning of reading and testing… and more reading.

* * *

The sun had gone past its midpoint in the sky and the shadows in the laboratory had grown longer. Kyoko was sat atop her stool with hear head down on the table, taking a moment to let go of the frustration that mounted in her with each failed attempt. She assumed she was over-thinking the problem and decided to take several minutes to calm down before starting again. With her eyes closed, she had just managed to even out her breathing when the door abruptly opened, sending her heart straight into her throat. Bolting upright, she looked towards the door with wide eyes.

"If I had known you were just going to use the laboratory for sleeping, I would have reconsidered my request to Grand Archweaver Takarada," Ren stifled a laugh at seeing her frantically pull off a paper that had stuck to her face.

An apology was ready on her lips when she remembered his past words and she swallowed it, "I just needed a moment to clear my head." She smiled warmly at the man across the room, "Welcome back."

"It is good to be back," he returned her smile and strode over to his desk and looked at it carefully before sitting down. "You really _did_ booby-trap my desk, didn't you?"

"Oh! I meant to remove that earlier," she exclaimed and he watched an orange spark jump from his desk and bounce over to her before disappearing into her amulet. "It's completely harmless, I assure you. I designed it only to alert me if you removed items from it."

"Such little faith," he lamented, shaking his head.

"I'm not the one who came to work with a fever," she shrugged. "Which reminds me, how are you feeling?"

"Much better, thanks to you," his smile widened and she nearly squinted from its brilliance.

"It was nothing really," she met his gaze briefly before looking away. "But, you're welcome. I'm glad you have returned."

"Missed me already?" his smile became an impish grin.

"Don't make me retract my statement and get to work," she warned and pointed towards his desk. "We still have a lot to do."

Seeing her list lying there, Ren affirmed he would finish his cross-check before assisting her with her experiments on the mannequin. He pulled several draft copies from the wall and set to work. Still not quite ready to resume her experiments, Kyoko retrieved the small, grey book from its temporary home on the shelf and began to read. By the time she reached the third chapter, her mind had quieted considerably. Absentmindedly fidgeting with her amulet, for the umpteenth time that day, she closed the book and placed it on her table with a sigh. It had been three-and-half long days spent stuck in this laboratory trying to work out how to convincingly layer one camouflage draft over the another and they only had a little over a day remaining.

That would have been fine, if they were actually making progress but they were getting nowhere, fast. Everything she had tried so far worked to the extent that there was full coverage of previous layers, but each layer had to be built heavier than the previous, making them look thick and overdone. She sighed, letting her eyes drift towards the windows on the far wall of the room. As she noted the contrast between the light coming in through the window and the dark panels of wood on wall surrounding it, a thought occurred to her.

"That's _it!_ " she exclaimed.

* * *

 **THANKS EVERYONE: The comments have been amazing, as always, and they help keep me motivated. See you in chapter 6 for Kyoko's epiphany. In the meantime, I'll be working on chapter 7 and waiting for the Valentine candy to go on sale.**

 **AUTHOR OUT**


	6. Beater

**COMING IN AT THE 11TH HOUR (LITERALLY): I almost didn't get this in by the end of Sunday but here we are! I managed to make enough progress on chapter 7 that I felt comfortable with releasing chapter 6 for your reading pleasure. Now, if you'll excuse me, I still have a lot of sleep to catch up on.**

* * *

 _"That's it!" she exclaimed._

At her outburst, Ren looked up from the page lying on the desk in front of him. If he was honest, his eyes had glazed over after staring at it for the past few minutes and he was not sure what he was even looking at. What he was sure of was that he most likely had fallen asleep with his eyes open. Perhaps he had not recovered as much as he originally believed. He watched her as she frantically scrambled through a pile of sheets on the table before her while mumbling to herself.

"What are you looking for?" she paused as she heard his deep voice behind her ask with what sounded like a muffled yawn.

"The copy of the transparency draft notation," she replied, resuming her half-crazed shuffle through the pile. "I could have sworn I saw one around here somewhere. Where did it go?"

He quickly scanned the wall where rest of the papers were hung before looking at his own table. There was the small pile of papers immediately to his left. He thumbed through them carefully but came up empty.

"We could use a seeker draft to find it if you want," he suggested.

"That would be a waste of energy when I know I just saw it on the wall this morning when you—" she trailed off when she looked at his desk. Kyoko marched over to where he sat and picked up the sheet in front of him. After briefly glancing at it, she turned it back to face him, waving it back and forth with smirk on her face.

"You weren't even reading this, were you?"

"Guilty as charged," he admitted, watching her skip cheerily back to her own work table.

"So, what are you excited about now?" he asked, getting up from his seat.

"I think I have an idea that will help with our problem," she explained as she quickly jotted notes on the sheet she had taken from him. "Since we normally would have to keep making each layer heavier than the previous, I wondered if we could just make the previous layers lighter before each new layer was applied."

"But we already looked into that," he walked towards where she stood to peek over her shoulder. "I thought we gave up on that idea already."

"We looked at something similar but not this," she quirked a smile, still hunched over the paper and writing. "We were thinking to try whittling down the mass of the layers before applying the next one but that would made them uneven and they could not be reused if the top layer was to be removed for any reason."

"And what is your hypothesis this time, oh, great Weaver Kyoko?" he teased, bending his head lower to get a closer look at her notations.

"W-well I was thinking we could build the layers even lighter i-if we made all the layers, below the one in use, flat and sheer," she stammered; he was too close and it was affecting her more than it should.

His arm ghosted past her to trace a single finger along her notes on the paper. The other hand gently pushed aside the hair that had fallen into his face. She noticed he smelled like the old books in the Archives mixed with just a hint of vanilla. The amulet around his neck hung near eye level as he leaned forward and swung gently back and forth.

"All we should need to do is alter the weft and invert the warp of this and it should work," she pointed to the draft notation as she spoke.

"A sound theory," he smiled. "Let's try it."

"I don't know what it is about that book," she mused aloud. "But, for some odd reason, I think it helped."

"What book?" he asked, puzzled.

" _The Enchanted March_. Yukihito sent it to me along with the other books I requested. He said you always ask for it when working on a particularly difficult project."

"He said that?"

"Yes… was that incorrect?"

"No, I suppose," he paused, looking introspective. "I just didn't realize I requested it so often."

"If you don't mind my asking," she hesitated, wondering if she should even pose the question. "Why _do_ you consult that book?"

"I guess you could say I use it mostly for advice."

"On spellweaving?" she asked dubiously.

"On life in general," he saw she was understandably confused and continued. "It's a good reminder to never take myself too seriously. That natural talent only goes so far and that everyone, even one of the greatest Weavers in the country, had to start somewhere." He shrugged, "I don't use the book to magically get solutions to my problems. It's more for perspective and motivation to keep trying."

Kyoko was not prepared for such a forthright answer. While it was her folly to think of Ren as anything more than an ordinary human, his lofty reputation among Spellweavers was mostly responsible for creating the illusion. However, considering he had never displayed any arrogance or pretense in her presence, she should have expected such a humble response. She felt selfishly pleased that many would never see this side of him.

"Well it seems to be a very helpful tool, regardless," She nodded and then changed the subject back to the matter at hand, "Shall we get started, then?"

"Would you like to do the honors and test it out on the mannequin?" he asked, pointing a thumb towards the wooden form positioned in the middle of the room.

She nodded, "If you do not mind, yes."

"It was your idea, after all," his smile turned into a mischievous grin. "I'm happy to sit back and marvel at your brilliance."

Kyoko rolled her eyes, "You mean sit back and take another nap, right?"

"Touché."

She pulled a blank grid sheet from underneath her pile of copies and began drawing her draft. Her hair hung in curtains around her face as she stared intently at the page before her and scribbled quickly. Ren noticed how there was a glint in her eye; a spark of determination, that he could not help but admire. Kyoko was certainly a force to be reckoned with when she put forth all of her effort into something.

Placing both hands on either side of the sheet when she finished, Kyoko murmured a quick incantation and a pale yellow light wound its way from the page and into her amulet, her stone taking on the same strange glow. The light soon dissipated and she walked over to where the mannequin stood. She put her hand on the mannequin's chest and activated the new draft with two words. Suddenly, the mannequin became a carbon copy of her from head to toe. Checking to make sure none of the original outfit was visible through the disguise layer, she proceeded to add another disguise on top of it.

The mannequin now bore the resemblance of her best friend, Kanae, only she was dressed in a long skirt and blouse instead of her usual Spellweaver cloak and uniform to differentiate this disguise from the Kyoko clone beneath. It was some time after she walked several slow circles around the mannequin when she froze before adding the third layer. A small frown formed on her face and she cocked her head to one side.

Ren noticed her hesitation, "Is there a problem?"

"I was about to make the last layer a replica of you," she continued to stare at the mannequin as she spoke. "But, I'm not certain this draft compensates for large differences in height."

"Well, try it and find out," he suggested with a chuckle. "If it doesn't, I'd be curious to see what I look like at your height."

Shaking her head at his amusement, she proceeded to add the next layer. The newest disguise materialized and Kyoko's eyes widened in a mixture of shock and embarrassment. She stepped back from the mannequin slowly, her mouth opened as if ready to say something in her defense. Random, quiet syllables came from her lips as she floundered for an appropriate reaction. Blatant refusal to meet Ren's eyes kept hers glued on the mannequin until she heard what sounded like a cough coming from where he stood.

A second cough followed along with a snort and Kyoko looked over to see Ren losing a battle to maintain his composure in the face of his—rather diminutive—double. His large frame trembled with mirth and the corners of his eyes crinkled, betraying the fact that there was a smile behind the hand he raised to hide it. The hand dropped back to his side and he began to laugh openly at the mannequin.

Kyoko gaped at him. How did he find this so funny? She made a serious omission which resulted in the likeness of her superior being unceremoniously squashed into a smaller stature. For all intents and purposes, it _did_ still look like him. However, those features that were complimented by his height were oddly reduced in proportion. The whole thing looked quite bizarre, almost like an adult head was attached to a child's body. As far as she was concerned, this was no laughing matter.

"I was… not prepared for that." Ren said between gasps, still clutching his sides.

"I knew I should have made that adjustment first," Kyoko grumbled.

"It's alright. I was the one who suggested you proceed without it." he wiped at his eyes. "I just didn't expect it to be so… entertaining."

"Ren, this is serious!" she shouted in exasperation, then clamped a hand over her mouth the instant the words left it.

"Oh, so you _can_ say my name," he raised an eyebrow. "I was beginning to think you'd forgotten it."

"But I— I didn't mean…," she spluttered.

"Relax, Kyoko. I thought we already established that it was alright."

She opened her mouth as if to say something, then abruptly closed it and walked back to her workstation. Hiding her embarrassment behind her work seemed a better idea than attempting to defend herself. Picking up her pen to start making adjustments to the draft, she missed the fact that Ren suddenly appeared at her side. It was not until he snatched the pen from her hand that she realized how close he was. She stared up at him in wide-eyed confusion.

"You deserve a break," he held up a hand when she started to protest. "After working diligently on your own for a day and a half, you managed to solve our dilemma whereas I spent most of that time sleeping. I can make the edits and perform the stress testing this evening while you go get some rest," he smiled warmly. "Tomorrow, we can package everything up and present it to the Grand Archweaver together."

"You really don't have to—"

"I want to," he said firmly. "You and I are partners on this. It is only fair for me to do my share of the work. I know only too well how draining it can be doing this on your own."

"Thank you," she replied meekly.

"I should be the one thanking you," he shook his head. "If it weren't for this stroke of brilliance, we may have missed the deadline. Now, go have a relaxing evening. I'll see you tomorrow."

Kyoko nodded and gathered her things together to leave and watched Ren return to his desk with her draft notation. Shuffling slowly towards the door, she stopped to turn around and found him watching her. A small, grateful smile at her lips, she bowed before gesturing towards him. Returning her smile, he raised his hand in farewell while she smoothly exited through the door, leaving it to close softly behind her.

* * *

Purposeful strides sped her along the walkway on her way to the dormitories. Her mind was preoccupied with ideas on how to spend the remainder of her day and she failed to notice the person straighten up from their leaning position against a lamppost. She did notice once he moved to approach her. An exasperated groan escaped her lips.

"Got kicked out of the lab by your 'partner' already?" he jeered.

Kyoko tried in vain to walk past him without a word but he kept up with her and continued to prod her with irksome questions. She stopped short and turned to him with a caustic glare.

"Where I go and what I do is none of your concern, Shotaro," she said his name like it was acid on her tongue. "But, if you must know, I have been given the rest of the day off because we finished the project ahead of schedule."

"Oh, so you're just gonna let him go take all the credit for your work while you're not there? You really are a stupid woman."

Barely containing her rage at his comment, she held her tongue and resumed walking quickly. It was better to ignore his attempts at inciting her anger, she decided. If only he was less proficient at doing so with only a few words. She could not decide what angered her more; the words he said or the fact that she let it get to her. When she heard him cluck in mock sympathy, her control broke and she spun on her heels to face him.

"The only thing that made me stupid was believing for one second that you ever cared about me," she snapped. "Trust me, that is _not_ a mistake I will be making again. Have a nice life, Sho, and please leave me to mine."

Kyoko stomped off, leaving a speechless man in her wake.

* * *

 **LONGER TIMES BETWEEN NEXT UPDATES (maybe): I have a couple of very important work deadlines coming up at the end of the month which will probably eat away at the spare time I have to work on the story. As such, there may be a larger gap between updates for the next 3-5 weeks. Hopefully this chapter didn't end on too much of a cliffhanger so you can scoot back from the edge of your seat and wait for your next fix. Keep the reviews coming, it's been a pleasure to read them!**

 **AUTHOR OUT!**


	7. Shuttle

**WORK DEADLINES GOT ME LIKE O.o:** **So, I sorta-kinda procrastinated on my actual work to give you guys a new chapter. But only because I have to go out of town for work next week so there will definitely not be an update. Hopefully this longer chapter helps tide you over!**

* * *

"First of all, don't get mad at me," Kyoko had only just walked into the laboratory and Ren prefaced his next sentence carefully. "But, I made a few changes to your draft."

"Did I do something wrong?" she sounded legitimately concerned. "Please tell me so I know better for the future."

"No, not at all, it was perfect. Well, other than the height issue," he allowed a slight chuckle. "All I did was put in an additional feature. I think you'll like it."

"Additional feature?"

He motioned for her to join him next to the mannequin. She put down her bag on her work table and walked over to where he stood. The face the mannequin currently wore was different from the ones she had placed the day before. And yet, somehow it was similar; she could not precisely identify why. Looking at him expectantly, she saw him smile and place a single finger in the air and swiped it in a short, downwards motion. Kyoko furrowed her brow at him and he used the same finger to point innocently back towards the mannequin.

Looking back at the mannequin's face, she saw the features shift until they were fully those of her friend, Kanae. Her jaw dropped in astonishment and she looked again at Ren. He grinned sheepishly and casually shrugged at her.

"I added a blending feature to the transparency modification," he explained. "I figured it might come in handy if they ever need to pass someone off as a relative of someone else."

"This is incredible!" she marveled.

"It was the least I could do," he rubbed at the back of his neck. "I wanted to contribute _something_ to this."

"It's perfect! Is there anything else we need to do to have this ready for the Grand Archweaver?"

"We still need to decide how we want to package up the draft for use by non-Weavers."

"Oh, you're right. Any suggestions?"

"I imagine something wearable would be the best item so that it is inconspicuous as to its actual use."

"So, perhaps a bracelet?" she wondered aloud then gasped. "No, a ring! It's small, easily blends in and people fiddle with their rings all the time. There'd be no way of telling if it's just a nervous habit or if they're activating a draft."

"Brilliant, as always," he beamed at her, noticing the blush that stole onto her cheeks. "And I know just the place to get them."

"You mean, we won't fabricate them ourselves?"

"We could, but just because we can draft a serviceable piece of jewelry from a stone doesn't mean we have the craftsmanship and artistic eye of a Framer," he reasoned, then a wry smile came over his face. "Besides, Yukihito still owes me a favor for getting me sick. I'll tell him to arrange for us to pay his friend, Miss Woods, a visit."

Ren jotted down a quick note and sent it via the spell on the bookshelf. While they waited, he told Kyoko that Jelly Woods is a well-respected Framer who specializes in making jewelry. As they did not have time, or funding, to commission a custom piece, they would visit her studio to pick out a couple basic pieces to use. They were debating whether the rings should be stone or wood when a response appeared on the shelf.

"She will expect us in her studio within the hour," he said aloud as he finished reading the note and placed it on his desk.

They decided to take one of the Guild's private transports to the studio as it was located just outside of the fashion district and would be too far to walk. It was smaller than Kyoko was accustomed to using as it only accommodated a maximum of four people. She sat quietly beside Ren and looked out the window as they zipped along the rails towards the northeast end of the city. The last time she had travelled in this direction was during her cross-training with the Framers. She found herself looking forward to admiring the stylish buildings and brightly colored decor again.

The studio in question was located in a cozy corner loft. While mostly utilitarian, it featured two small display cabinets on the wall opposite a fully equipped workbench surrounded by shelves. The furnishings and sparse decorations complimented each other in an airy, calming theme of pale aqua, cream and gold. A petite lady with long curly hair framing wide eyes and a tiny nose and mouth rose from her workbench to greet them when they entered. She dusted her hands off on her pale yellow Framer smock and gestured towards them both with a smile.

"Good morning Maven Woods," Ren bowed in greeting.

"Oh, Ren, you know you don't have to be so formal with me," she chided him lightly.

"Of course. I assume Yukihito let you know why we're here?"

"He did, but aren't you going to introduce me to your pretty companion here?" she grinned excitedly at Kyoko.

"Ah yes, Maven Framer Jelly Woods," he pointed to the woman standing before them. "This is my partner, Class 1 Weaver Kyoko Mogami."

"It is an honor to meet a Maven Framer," she bowed respectfully.

"Partner, huh? It's rare for you to have one of those. This one must be something special," she winked at Ren. "Oh, and please call me Ten, everyone does. Yuki told me you were cute but I don't think that's the correct word," Kyoko frowned at her. "No, not cute at all. You're beautiful!"

"Thank you," Kyoko murmured with amaranthine cheeks. She looked at Ren as if asking him to help her out of her awkward situation.

"If you do not mind, we are a bit pressed for time as we have a meeting with Grand Archweaver Takarada this afternoon."

"Yes, yes, of course. Right this way!" she led them over to the display cabinets.

Kyoko could easily see why this woman was highly regarded in her field. Her creations ranged from simpler, more contemporary designs to those reminiscent of the intricately elaborate jewelry of old. Skilled with metal, stone and wood, she created amazingly unique jewelry out of any material. Each piece was more stunning than the last and her eyes glittered in wonder as she stared into the cabinet.

"That's a lovely stone you have in your amulet, Kyoko," Jelly looked thoughtfully at it. "Is that a piece of dichroite?"

"I actually do not know the proper name. It was something given to me when I was a child."

"If it is, that is incredible. I've never actually seen one in person before as it is not native to our country," the woman was clearly in awe of the stone.

"Oh. I suppose that would explain why no one else has one like mine," Kyoko said thoughtfully, still looking at her amulet.

"Indeed, that would be very rare. Well, you couldn't have picked a better amulet stone."

"Why do you say that?"

"This stone is said to bond with it's enchanter. Mages in other countries are known to use them almost exclusively as their ability is amplified by that bond," Jelly explained. "It's a sort of symbiotic relationship, or so I've heard. For some reason, the stone feeds off of the emotional energy of the user."

"Really? I had no idea," Kyoko marveled at the stone hanging around her neck.

"Now, I don't know if all that is true, but it makes for an interesting story doesn't it?" she was about to ask Kyoko if she could touch the stone when Ren cleared his throat beside them.

"I believe we agreed on stone rings, did we not?"

"Oh, yes. Have you selected one?" Kyoko was roused from her reverie.

He pointed to several simple, yellow jasper bands, cut strategically to showcase the variegated banding of the mineral, and looked to her for approval. It did not escape him how she looked wistfully at the pink and grey bracelet displayed beside them. With the decisive nod of her head signaling her agreement, he asked Jelly to give him four of them. Once the rings were carefully wrapped in soft fabric and paper, they were given to Kyoko for safekeeping on the trip back to the Main Edifice. She slipped the small packet into her bag.

"Thank you, Maven Woods. Please send over an invoice and I will ensure prompt payment."

"Anytime, Ren. Maybe the next time you come here you'll have a personal project for me?" she subtly pointed her chin towards Kyoko and raised an eyebrow. "Or at least let me make you a nicer setting for that amulet of yours. Whatever you're hiding under there can't be _that_ ugly."

"Perhaps another time. Thank you again," he offered with a curt nod before ushering Kyoko out of the studio.

On the way back to the Main Edifice, Kyoko looked thoughtfully at her amulet and pondered Jelly's words. Could there really be some sort of bond between her and the stone? Perhaps that would explain why it would change color at seemingly random moments. On the other hand, she disliked the fact that her skill could be augmented by it. She worked so hard to progress as far as she had, the last thing she needed was to learn that it was only due to the help of an innocuous piece of rock. Her mood darkened at this.

"She said herself that she was unsure as to whether or not any of it was true, Kyoko," Ren said softly. Could he read her thoughts? Perhaps her face was doing that thing again that Kanae would always warn her about. "I wouldn't worry too much about it."

She smiled gratefully at him and nodded.

* * *

Back in the laboratory, the pair worked to transfer the disguising draft to the rings. Kyoko used an engraving draft to carve a minuscule symbol onto the inside wall of the band. Passing the engraved ring on to Ren, he transmitted the draft to the symbol on each ring. The draft was sealed in by marking through the symbol with an additional line. That way, the draft could not be extracted from the object by anyone other than the original creator. After completing the fourth ring, he turned to see her looking pensively out the window.

"Ready for life to return to normal after all of this?" he asked.

She let out a brief laugh, "I was actually just thinking about how much I'm going to miss it."

"Well, since you're such a glutton for punishment," his lips shifted into a sardonic smile. "I'll have to have you assigned to as many of these as possible. At that rate, you'd be a Master in no time."

"Don't tempt me," she warned. "But, as much I'd love to gain my Master designation, I still enjoy getting posted in different parts of the country and working with the Provisionals."

"You know that won't change once you gain a new rank. You get to do all of those same things, but you also get privilege of being more selective about it," he said with a shrug. "Not everyone is boring and stuffy like me and hangs around the Main Edifice all the time."

"You're not boring and stuffy at all," she protested earnestly.

"Try telling that to Takarada," he scoffed, but smiled. "He always likes to remind me how long it's been since I was last posted outside of the city and threatens to send me away to some outskirt post. One of these days, I think he's going to make good on that," he added with a shudder.

"Don't you like to travel and see other places?"

"I do and I did quite a bit of it when I was around your rank but I've found that I really enjoy the research I do here," he smirked, then continued looking pointedly at her. "Especially when I have access to a wonderful and talented partner."

"Oh, well I suppose that makes sense," Kyoko completely missed the compliment he paid her. "It's important to be able to do what you love."

Ren's hand was a mere twitch away from smacking fully into his forehead when the campus clocktower chimed the hour, each pound of the bell echoing loudly against the stone buildings. They sat in silence until the last bell subsided. She looked at him with a small smile.

"I suppose it's time for our date with destiny," she pointed to the door.

"So far, it's been better than a number of dates I've experienced," he joked, she rolled her eyes. "Well, come on then, _date._ Let's go."

* * *

The meeting with Lory went fairly quickly and informally, much to Kyoko's relief. For some reason, she was expecting something much more serious than casual conversation over cups of tea. However, she was curious as to why no representative from the Defenders was present. Surely they would want someone to inspect the finished item. Her curiosity got the better of her when she opened her mouth.

"If you do not mind my asking, sir, why did no one from the Defenders come here for this meeting?"

Lory looked at them over the top of his clasped hands with a self-satisfied grin, "Very astute observation, Kyoko. The reasoning for that is related to the second part of your assignment."

"Second part?" Ren fought valiantly to hide a groan and lost. The man sitting across from them was up to something.

"As you say, these projects usually end with the receiving party being present for the closing meeting. However, the Defenders have taken very extreme measures to avoid the implication that our guild is connected to this," he explained. "Even the request was delivered to us by convoluted means."

"So what does this have to do with our assignment?" Kyoko prompted; the man beside her nodded in agreement hoping they would get to the point soon.

"Since confidentiality requires us to not involve any further people in this, you two will be delivering the rings to the Defenders' outpost near our country's shared border with Altria," when he paused for dramatic effect, Ren rolled his eyes. "In disguise."

"What?! Why?" Kyoko panicked while Ren's fingers pinched aggressively at the bridge of his nose. "We are Spellweavers, not spies. How do they expect us to pull this off?"

"It was to be a test, of sorts, of the effectiveness of what you two designed. If you cannot make it to the outpost using the rings you created then they have no business using them if they are not properly vetted."

"Are you saying that this could potentially be dangerous?" Ren raised an irritated eyebrow.

"Most things involving the Defenders is," Lory shrugged. "This whole matter has been dangerous from the minute that request arrived on my desk. Had the content of that letter gotten into the wrong hands, all of our lives could have been in danger."

"That would have been nice to know earlier," Ren mumbled darkly.

"Our relations with Altria are fractious, at best, and this is a very important tool for the guild that helps keep our country safe. The more information we can safely gather about them the better we can understand their intentions. I chose you because you are the best we have, Ren. And you, in turn, chose Kyoko because she is the best. I work with the other guilds and provide the best I can so that they can do their best for this country," he placed his hands on his desk and looked at each of them seriously. "I'm not just trying to flatter you so you will acquiesce to my wish. I just want you both to be aware of how important this is."

"I understand, Grand Archweaver," Kyoko chimed in solemnly, her partner looked at her with surprise. "Please let us know how to proceed so I can help."

"Are you sure about this?" his voice sounded strained beside her.

"I cannot see where we really have a choice here," she admitted, a pained look of defeat crossed over her face.

"I see your point," Ren said finally, then turned back towards Lory. "When will we be traveling?"

"You leave tomorrow evening by train. I will give you the information you need to make contact with the Defenders once you arrived. Also, I have arranged with Yukihito to have him prepare travel documents for your identities. You will meet with him shortly."

"Very well," Ren rose from his seat with Kyoko following closely behind. "I suppose we should head there now."

"Good luck you two," his lips were pursed and his face stern. "And please be careful."

* * *

A young woman with pitch black shoulder length hair to match her dress and a horrid scowl sat beside a taller brunet gentleman in a tailored grey suit in a private cabin on the train the following evening. He gave her a placid smile after standing up to secure their luggage in the overhead racks. Her frown deepened and she averted her eyes to look out the window beside her. Settling himself beside her once more, he joined her in looking out the window.

"This is ridiculous," the girl griped.

"But we get to be someone different for a couple days," he said quietly but cheerfully. "It could be fun."

"Easy for you to say K—" she was interrupted by his raised hand.

"Ah-ah, you must address me properly," he chided.

"Fine, P _rofessor_ ," she grumbled. "But tell me again…"

"Yes?"

"Why did _I_ have to be the girl?!"

* * *

 **SEE YOU IN TWO-ISH WEEKS: I tried to lighten things up a bit at the end there since it felt it was getting a little heavy. That's probably a result of me having to put my youngest cat to sleep on Monday (RIP, little buddy), but writing has helped me feel a lot less sad. Anywho, I'm halfway done with Chapter 8 and hope to be on 9 by the time of my next update. I hope you have fun in my absence, my darlings. And, as always, be sure to leave a message after the beep!**

 **AUTHOR OUT!**

 **P.S. _Dichroite_ is an older name for the stone/mineral _iolite(cordierite)_ , which the SB wiki says is the proper name for the stone Corn is made out of. Today I learned.**


	8. Beam

**BACK AS PROMISED: Last week was stressful and long and I had no time to work on this story. Some of that was due to the fact that I went to a music festival that happened to be in the town I visited to see some of my favorite bands perform so I ended up using up my reserve to bring you this chapter. Usually I have another chapter finished before I post but I just finished this one up and am only one paragraph into chapter 9. But, you have all been so awesome and supportive, it's totally worth it. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

" _Why did_ I _have to be the girl?!_ "

The man beside her chuckled lightly at her frustration remembering when they were given their travel documents. The first segment of their trip entailed them traveling in a private cabin as a young Educator accompanying his fiancee's runaway sister back home to the town of Harkton. Once they arrived, they would disembark, change appearances and re-board in the general seating to continue on to the border. However, the Head Scribe had an unconventional idea as to who would play which role.

"You mean you want _me_ to be the male?" Kyoko nearly yelled incredulously.

"Well, seeing as how neither of you are well versed in assuming a new identity," Yukihito paused briefly as Ren coughed a few times. "I figured it would be best to keep you in drastically different appearances so that you're constantly reminded that you are not yourselves rather than accidentally falling back into your usual habits."

Her mouth formed a perfect circle as she acknowledged the thought that went into this, "I understand now."

"Besides, you'll get to go back to being a girl for the second part of your trip," he added.

Kyoko nodded, remembering her second disguise. They would be traveling as two Displaced—the common term used for individuals who consciously choose to never join a Guild upon reaching the age of majority—and attempting to leave the country for a new life in Altria. As she had met a few Displaced over the years, she did not think it would be too difficult to emulate their carefree delinquency. However, her experience with being a sibling was non-existent. She would just have to do her best approximation of being a little sister and hope it was enough.

Once they had their new identities, they both returned to the laboratory to craft their disguises based on the photographs included in their documents. Ren gave full artistic license to Kyoko to create the outfits to match and only added a few details he thought necessary. The first pair were dressed to appear distinguished with an obviously wealthy background. While the second pair were to be garish and stand out easily so that their intentionally obvious forged documents raise the suspicions of the Defenders at the border. She was still amazed at how much consideration went in to this subterfuge.

* * *

They sat across from one another in the dining partition of the train as it wound its way through the quiet nighttime. Kyoko had somehow managed to convince Ren to eat dinner with her, despite the current circumstances. While they did have lodging in a private car hidden away from most passengers, it seemed like a good idea to keep up appearances and show their faces periodically so as not to raise suspicion. It also forced Kyoko to adjust to the reality of being someone else as she would need to be mindful of her altered appearance for the second part of their journey.

Ren apparently needed no such adjustment period. While he initially appeared uncomfortable with the role, he fell into it easily and carried himself like a dour young lady of a wealthy family. It gave her pause to wonder if he had done this sort of thing before but she immediately dismissed it reasoning that, if it was something in his past, she had no place asking about it. She looked across the small table at her dinner companion as they begrudgingly picked at the plate of food before them.

"I know it is not what you are accustomed to, but you would do well to eat at least some of it," it still unnerved her slightly when she spoke with an altered voice.

"It is bad enough that I am being unceremoniously herded back home like livestock by a man who is not even a part of my family but now you are trying to tell me how to eat?" the girl across the table glowered with barely contained rage.

"I am only your escort because I had business in the city."

"Exactly my point," the girl sneered as she abruptly pushed away the plate. "When they found out where I was, they could not even send a designated person. They just asked you to pick me up on your way as if I were a carton of milk. And yet, they wonder why I left home."

In a huff, the girl rose gracefully from her seat and walked quickly back to their quarters. Kyoko stared blankly at the empty space before her from behind the calm expression of her disguise. Finishing the meal before her in a steady, unhurried pace, she also headed back to their small cabin. Surely, that was enough of an exhibition for the people around them of the relationship between these two passengers. Closing the door behind her, she found Ren still disguised and sitting on the cushioned bench and leaning against the window.

"Quite the scene you caused out there. I'm pretty sure everyone on this train is convinced that you hate me."

"Little do they know that I was just too tired and keyed up to eat," Ren smiled wanly.

"Nervous?" she sat down beside him with her hands clasped and her forearms bracing against her knees.

"You said it yourself, we are not formally trained to do this sort of thing and yet, the danger of the situation is very real," he looked at her thoughtfully. "I'm honestly not sure if I should be worried or impressed that you're not as anxious as I am."

"Oh the anxiety is there," she assured. "I just convinced myself it was more important to focus on other things."

"A wise decision," he affirmed with a nod. "How many more hours until we reach Harkton?"

"About six, I believe. Should we try to get some rest?" she looked dubiously at the tiny sleeping compartments in the room along the far wall. "I have no idea how I'm to fit in there with this body. I think I'll just sit here and nap."

"They do look awfully tight, even for my current size," he agreed. "Mind if I stay here with you? I'll give you the side by the window so you can lean against the wall."

"I suppose that can work. Since you're smaller, you can probably lie down with your head on my lap," she offered.

"Would that be alright?" he hesitated for the sake of propriety. "I don't want you to do anything you're uncomfortable with."

"We're already cramped together in a tiny room in gender-swapped disguises," she rolled her eyes with a light laugh as she switched places with him on the bench. "Comfort is the least of my worries right now. Besides, you said you were tired."

"Fair point," he said before curling up on the bench and resting his head on her lap. "Sleep… well, I guess?"

"I'll try."

Kyoko marveled at the small form lying across the seat next to her. While she was mostly impressed at results of her own handiwork, the fact that her senior was currently sleeping on her lap did not escape her. She felt oddly protective over him as he appeared more vulnerable in this state. Thinking back to his outburst at dinner, she wondered what the impetus was for the things he said. He could have had a friend in a similar predicament, she supposed, but the anger felt real and palpable. Deep in thought, she did not realize her hand had started to stroke the hair of the head resting on her.

Ren felt the soft pressure of fingers on his scalp as they lulled him to sleep. It was a sensation he had not experienced in a long time and it brought back memories he was not prepared to handle. Shutting his eyes tightly, he tried his hardest to will them away. It was not as if he did not miss his family, but it was easier to focus on his goal without nostalgia getting in the way. Success always came at a high price, but he was willing to pay it twice if it helped atone for the life he failed to protect.

* * *

An eye-catching blonde, ostentatiously dressed in a form-fitting black outfit with silver accents, exited the station's restroom in Harkton and joined her dark-haired male companion to board the idling train. He graciously let her take the window seat, which she accepted with a shrug. She spent most of the trip with her boots impolitely propped up on the seat in front of her, staring impassively out the window as if the scenery bored her. The man beside her—whose shoulder she was currently nestled against—appeared to be sleeping. It was difficult, to be sure, as she had never travelled to this part of the country yet and watching the densely clustered homes and buildings change to rolling countryside through her window was actually quite fascinating.

When the two arrived at the border stop, they were unceremoniously taken aside to be interrogated about their documents. They sat side-by-side in a closed-off room as they were questioned as to their supposed occupation and purpose for traveling. While the girl tried to remain impassively silent, her counterpart tersely answered the questions with as few words as possible.

"There's no way you two are Novice Entertainers," one of the interrogators challenged.

"We're on our way to a location filming in Altria," the man repeated gruffly for the fifth time.

"Then, why are you traveling on clearly forged identification?" the other one demanded. "You know very well Displaced are forbidden from leaving the country."

"Does he even _speak_ Grismerian?" the man said to the woman sitting next to him. "How many times do I have to repeat myself?

The girl shrugged, shook her head sadly and gave a loud, exasperated sigh.

"If you don't believe us, go ask Lieutenant Inspector Konoe," she said, mildly vexed. "I heard he's stationed here. He's our uncle."

A brief look was exchanged between two men before they left to locate the person in question. A taut silence settled over the room as the remaining pair sat. The blonde uncrossed her arms and looked over at the man sitting next to her. He returned her gaze with a reassuring one and grasped her hand in his, squeezing slightly as if to comfort her. The moment was interrupted when the door to the room re-opened and a somewhat round man with cropped hair and glasses in an olive uniform stepped inside alone. His eyes narrowed as he looked at them both carefully.

"I was told my niece and nephew were in here," he said dubiously. "Which would be a first for me as I am unmarried and an only child. So tell me, who are you _really_?"

The pair before him looked at each other again and with a barely perceptible nod from the man, they suddenly changed appearances. The man had become a petite black-haired girl while the woman transformed into a sophisticated man in a suit. Lt. Inspector Konoe looked at the new faces before him and shook his head. He brought a hand to his chin thoughtfully while tucking the other arm beneath the bent elbow.

"Is this supposed to be some sort of game?" he asked, clearly irritated. "I still don't know who you are."

The girl inclined her head towards the man at her side and they changed once more. He was now facing two young Spellweavers and everything clicked. A surprised laugh erupted from his throat. Ren and Kyoko stared blankly at him, unsure of how to proceed.

"I see that Grand Archweaver of yours got my follow-up message regarding delivery of our requested items," he smiled broadly and looked at the braided cords on their hoods. "Archweaver Tsuruga, I presume?"

"A pleasure to meet you," Ren replied then motioned towards the seat next to him. "This is my partner, Class 1 Weaver Kyoko Mogami."

"Sir," she chimed in with a seated bow.

"Welcome, both of you, to the Rampart. This train station is only a small part of the entire facility that I will gladly show you once we get out out of here," he shook their hands. "I suggest you re-activate your disguises so we can escort you without raising suspicion."

The station apparently only served as a facade for the rest of the outfit as it was a clever camouflage for what lay beneath the ground. A fourteen-layer underground base was presented before them through thick glass panes as the elevator shot down into the earth. Kyoko's experience with the Defenders during her cross-training had been limited to more public safety and infantry training exercises. The intelligence side of the guild was never really seen; and for good reason.

"We don't typically allow many Spellweavers down here so you two are some of the few that get to see this," Konoe explained. "Since you worked so hard to create a really crucial element for our operation, the least I can do is show you some of the non-classified areas of this place once our meeting is concluded. You will, of course, need to be escorted by a representative at all times while you are here."

"Speaking of which," Ren was all business while Kyoko continued to stare admiringly through the elevator's glass. "How long do you think this will take? We need to be on a return train in a few hours."

"Oh, no need to worry," the Lt. Inspector assured. "We have visitor accommodations near the barracks that you can use. I assume you are both exhausted from your trip. No sense in you going back right away when you can get a good meal and some sleep."

"We appreciate the hospitality, sir," Ren thanked him.

"Nonsense," he dismissed. "As far as I'm concerned, you are honored guests!"

They were taken to a small meeting room as their first order of business since they had yet to surrender the rings. The spell lamps on the wall were tinted to simulate filtered sunlight and the furnishings were colored in pale grays and blues. Since windows were non-existent, it was obvious that they made an effort to make their rooms feel less claustrophobic. If it were not for the extensive elevator ride, one would easily forget they were underground. Handing off the rings was about as casual as their meeting with Grand Archweaver Takarada and only took a bit longer due to some additional details that needed to be explained for non-Spellweaver users. They were joined by three other high-ranked Defenders whose names Kyoko failed to remember; the whole experience was so overwhelming she focused all of her efforts towards behaving as a consummate professional.

When the meeting concluded with a round of respectful handshakes and gestures, Lt. Inspector Konoe directed them to the residential quarters to show them their lodging. He took the liberty of having the bags they seized from the train when they were taken aside for questioning to be brought to their respective rooms. Their next stop was the dining hall where they were shown the variety of cuisines that were available to the personnel stationed at Rampart were able to enjoy. Kyoko eyed Ren warily, knowing that food was the lowest priority on his list but was surprised when he kindly accepted the meal offered. When she saw how methodically he chewed each bite before swallowing, she realized he only accepted out of courtesy.

Watching the wide-eyed wonder with which Kyoko surveyed their surroundings during their walkthrough of the facility was a small comfort for Ren. While it was a very impressive base with state-of-the-art equipment, it unnerved him to be there and caused him to think of painful things he would rather ignore. He imagined he was doing a fair job of hiding it thus far but, as each step drew them closer to the combat training arena, he felt the dread in the pit of his stomach grow to a near unbearable intensity.

The doors to the arena slid open before them and they were ushered inside. The Lt. Inspector informed them that a minor routine exercise was underway, but they should be safe to observe it from the spectator balcony. Two teams of three people each were engaged in a live-round skirmish in the arena that stretched for two hectares below them; false walls, buildings and fixtures were scattered around to simulate an urban setting. Sonic Spellweavers created weapons for the Defenders over two decades prior that used sound waves instead of physical ammunition. These wave rifles were being used by the teams—though the training rifles were altered to give the waves a colored glow to make them easier to spot—along with deflectors to be deployed as a protective field. It created a stunning light show for those watching as the waves bounced twice off of the walls before dissipating.

He heard it before he saw and only noticed it a half of a heartbeat before she did. His heart sank and his adrenaline spiked; a stray wave blast deflected from one of the combatants below was headed directly for her. Throwing up her hands to cast a barrier he knew she would be too late to execute, time seemed to stand still as he heard the voices from years ago screaming through his brain. The arena disappeared from around him and all he saw was dust-covered ground and bodies. Voices still echoed around him; distorted as if he were underwater. In that instant, he made a decision, weaving a swift and powerful deflection and pushing it forward.

To the untrained eye, the speed at which he moved was nearly imperceptible and the wave appeared to curve on its own before disappearing. To an experienced eye, the amount of energy needed for a Spellweaver to move that quickly was nearly impossible within human physical limitations. Ren staggered forward and grasped the balcony railing for support before looking over to see Kyoko swaying on her feet, her eyes fluttering between open and closed. With his last bit of strength, he rushed to her side and wrapped an arm firmly around her waist. His knees buckled under him with the added strain and, as his vision began to go black, they both sank to the floor.

* * *

 **SUSPENSEFUL CLIFFHANGER IS SUSPENSEFUL: I hope you've all been following along carefully so far! We're starting to learn more and more so I'd hate for you to miss anything. Well, leave me a message if you can. I am always delighted to hear from each and every one of you; especially my regulars like cleocat333, MWEH and Blushweaver. Off I go to get to work on the rest of the next chapter!**

 **AUTHOR OUT!**


	9. Wheel

**AND WE'RE BACK ON TRACK: I managed to write almost three chapters in the past week so my buffer is back in place for when I will most likely need it again in the coming month. Anyway, don't let me distract you since I know you all came here for the exciting continuation. On with the show!**

* * *

Lieutenant Inspector Konoe called for the immediate assistance of the Healers that were on hand in the arena to take the two unconscious Spellweavers to their sick bay for examination. He cursed himself for allowing it to happen; he should have known better than to bring them into the arena during an exercise. Spellweavers were typically not trained to listen for the sound of wave rifle blasts to dodge out of the way. While it did not appear as if either of them were physically hurt, it was curious indeed how they both collapsed not long after the Archweaver managed to deflect the incoming fire.

"Extreme exhaustion from excessive spell usage," the Marshall Healer told him when he went to check on their status an hour later. "It usually only occurs in Provisional Weavers who deplete all of their energy trying to weave a spell too complicated for their skill but this is the first time I've seen a simultaneous case. Whatever trick they pulled up there must have wiped them both out."

"Will they be alright?" he was already dreading the report he would have to send to their superior about this.

"Oh yes, with a bit of rest and some of our replenishing fluids, they should be fully recovered by tomorrow morning," the Healer promised as she scanned the chart in her hand. "Most Weavers require a bit more time to heal, but these two appear to be surprisingly resilient."

He breathed a sigh of relief before thanking the Healer and departing for his office. Sitting at the console on his desk, he began to compose a brief report to be encoded and securely delivered to the Spellweaver Main Edifice. He adjusted his glasses on his nose as he thought about how best to word his description of the day's incident. Hopefully there would be some consolation in the fact that the two Weavers' recuperation had a positive prognosis.

* * *

Kyoko cracked one eyelid open at a time, allowing her eyes to adjust to the ambient light in the room. The last thing she remembered was standing in the arena and watching the blast wave she knew was coming straight towards her get diverted at the last second. After that, there was nothing. Now, she was in a strange white room with a killer headache. She assumed, from the smell of disinfectant, that she must be in a Healer establishment of some sort. Of course, she could always look around, but the pounding in her head was convincing her otherwise. A quiet groan escaped her lips and she closed her eyes again.

"Kyoko, is that you?" a hoarse voice came from her right. "Are you alright?"

"Ren? You're here too?"

"Yea," he trailed off as if he was about to say something more but let the silence hang in the air instead.

"Does your head hurt as much as mine?" she brought a hand up to her forehead, as if touching it could somehow dull the pain. "What happened?"

"I think we both used up all of our energy trying to get that wave away from you," she could barely make out what he was saying as he mumbled tiredly.

"Oh," she did not remember actually activating her barrier draft but everything happened so fast and her memory was missing a lot of details about what occurred so she supposed it was possible.

At that moment, a Healer entered their room and saw the girl holding her head. The man laying on the other bed in the room appeared to be trying to open his eyes with little success.

"Ah, you're both awake, it seems. You must be made of some pretty tough stuff to be up so soon after complete exhaustion like that," the Healer chirped with a wry smile. "I bet that headache must be awful."

"You're telling _me_ ," Kyoko moaned and Ren grunted in agreement.

"Well I have some replenishing fluids for you mixed with a serum to help you sleep to help speed your healing along. Oh, I hope you don't mind that we put you together in one room," the Healer apologized. "We have a small facility here so we have to conserve space where we can. Then again, it didn't seem like you two wanted to be separated."

"We're in too much discomfort at the moment to complain about anything other than this excruciating headache," Ren gingerly cleared his throat and chimed in. "I think we'll be just fine."

Kyoko tried to nod and winced as it made the pain in her head worse. The Healer laid a calming hand on her arm before placing a glass into her palm and closing her fingers around it.

"Can you hold this well enough to drink from it? Good, go ahead and drink that," she instructed. "And I'll take this other one over to your… husband? Boyfriend? Colleague?"

"The last one," Kyoko croaked between gulps.

"Well, the way you two were holding on to each other when they carted you in here, I honestly wasn't sure," the Healer admitted off-handedly, causing Kyoko to nearly choke on her medication.

The sleeping serum was fairly fast-acting, much to her relief since all she wanted to do was escape the awkward silence in the room after the Healer left. It was a good thing he could not see her face was at this moment from where he lay across the room; judging from the heat that radiated from them, she guessed her cheeks were nearly violet. She fought the urge to ask Ren if he knew what the Healer was talking about. He was probably just as embarrassed as she was.

"You were about to faint and I didn't want you to get a concussion from hitting your head on the ground," his voice broke the silence suddenly.

"Mm?" sleep was already taking a strong hold on her.

"I got to you… just before you fell…. didn't want you to get hurt," she could tell he was about to fall asleep as well.

"You saved me… thank you."

She thought she heard him mutter something about never forgiving himself but the medication had taken its toll and they both fell into a drug-induced slumber.

* * *

Lt. Inspector Konoe was all stuttered words and profuse apologies when they were released with a clean bill of health the following morning. After thanking the Healers for their care, they were escorted to what looked like an underground monorail stop. Apparently, as part of their apology, the Defenders arranged for them to be taken via subterranean transport to the next town over where the closest Spellweaver satellite location so they could travel back to Central City as themselves without having to drain their energy by using a disguise. They were also warned that Lory had been informed about the incident and was expecting to be briefed on the details when they returned to the Main Edifice.

The trip back to the city was blissfully uneventful and their conversations, much to both of their surprise, were not at all strained by recent events. Kyoko wondered if he was just trying to keep her mind off of what happened and, honestly, she appreciated that. His gentleness caused her mind to raise unnecessary thoughts that she fought hard to dismiss. Ren's smiles came easily and genuinely as they talked and they made her heart do uncomfortable things to the point that she was afraid she could not bear anymore. Yes, he saved her life, but her immense feeling of contented bliss in his presence seemed overly ample for mere gratitude. That is, until he paused as they approached the steps of the Main Edifice in the late morning of the following day.

"I don't know if Grand Archweaver will give us a chance to do this again but, despite what happened towards the end of it, I really enjoyed working with you," as he spoke, he suddenly looked so serious and so sad that her heart stopped its somersaults to ache for him.

"I did as well," she wished she had more profound words to say at the moment, but she had no idea how to handle his sudden mood change other than to offer a nervous laugh. "I guess we should go face the music?"

And without another word, they entered the building.

* * *

"As you both know, I received word from the Defenders of the… occurrence that happened a couple days ago at their facility," the Grand Archweaver steepled his fingers and began once Ren and Kyoko arrived and were seated.

"We were informed as much by Lt. Inspector Konoe," Ren confirmed.

"Well, then," he shifted his attention. "Kyoko, can you give me an account, in your own words, of what happened?"

"I imagine this was already in the report," she was taken by surprise when he called on her to respond. "But, we were in the observation balcony of the training arena when a stray wave rifle shot ricocheted and headed towards me. And from what I was told Archweaver Tsuruga and I both activated drafts to divert the blast. I believe his succeeded, but since we both put our full energy into the spells, we collapsed from exhaustion soon after."

"What exactly do you mean by 'from what I was told'?" he queried.

"It all happened so quickly that I am afraid I do not recall all of the details properly from before I blacked out. Archweaver Tsuruga was kind enough to help me fill in the blanks as he was conscious long enough to grab me before my head hit the floor," she looked over at the man sitting beside her with a grateful smile.

"Have you ever overused your energy until you've collapsed like this before?"

She pondered for a moment before replying, "No, I do not believe so. I do get tired from time to time but I have always tried to be mindful of the physical toll Spellweaving takes on my body so that I avoid overdoing things. However, considering the panic and urgency of the circumstance, it is plausible that I would omit that consideration in the interest of preserving life and limb."

"Thank you, Kyoko. As you know, I appreciate both of your efforts with this project and I'm sorry it had to end so unpleasantly but I am very glad that you are safe," he apologized. "Please know that I think you did excellent work and I look forward to seeing your efforts when you decide to go for your Master designation."

"Thank you, sir. I appreciate the vote of confidence."

"If you don't mind, I need to speak with Ren privately about his next project. You are free for the remainder of the day to get some rest. Be sure to report to the Provisionals floor tomorrow morning for your new assignment."

Dismayed, she looked sadly at Ren for a moment before rising from her seat. They really were going to be split up after this. All of her hopes that they might work together in the future were dashed to pieces as Lory dismissed her from his office. She gestured to both of them and, with a stiff goodbye, she exited the room.

Once the door closed fully behind her, Ren swallowed thickly as he saw the gaze of the man across from him. He knew her explanation raised several red flags in the Grand Archweaver's mind. Now that they were alone in his sound-proofed office, he was loathe to find out just how much of a dressing down he was about to receive for his actions. Holding back a wince, he braced himself for a whole new line of questioning.

"Okay, now tell me what _really_ happened, Ren," Lory eyed him suspiciously.

"I'm willing to wager you've already guessed what actually happened without me having to tell you," he said with a resigned sigh. "I had no other choice! There was no way I could get to her fast enough to do anything else."

"Am I also correct in my assumption as to why you have not told her the truth about how you did it?" he accused.

"You are the only one who knows about my past. I can't jeopardize my position here like that."

"But she is obviously a part of that past if she has that stone in her amulet. I saw how it changed color when you were sick," he reasoned. "Have you ever done this to her before?"

"I would never do something like that to her," he was taken aback. "Not unless it was absolutely necessary which, in this case, it was."

"Clearly, but why are you denying yourself the support of someone who knows, and accepts, the real you?" he pleaded. "You need to tell her."

Ren took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair before he answered, "Because the person she knew all those years ago does not exist anymore."

"Oh, don't give me that self-effacing atonement nonsense," he admonished him with a stern look. "I know you like to paint yourself as the martyr for what happened during that campaign but you were a cocky, teenaged Battlemage with something to prove back then. Is it really so bad to start forgiving yourself?"

"I still don't feel like I should be forgiven," he murmured almost painfully.

"Learning from your mistakes is part of being an adult," Lory's voice took on an instructive, but consoling tone. "But so is growing and moving on. If you keep making yourself go in circles because of one major turning point in your life, then have you really learned anything?"

Ren gave no response so he continued.

"You have won the trust and admiration of one of my best up-and-coming Weavers to the point that she wouldn't dare question your actions or motives. I want you to take a good look at yourself and think about what you have done to earn that respect. Until then, no more high-risk assignments for either of you."

"But—"

"Do _not_ push me on this." he cautioned. "I'm sure she is as grateful as I am for the quick thinking you displayed to save her life. However, you are not to work together again until you come to terms with yourself and tell that woman just how much the two of you are really connected."

"Understood," Ren mumbled petulantly. He did not see the point in arguing.

"Good, then you are also dismissed," Lory said with finality. "Go home, get some sleep and take the time to think about all this, will you?"

The Grand Archweaver watched him depart with a curt nod, letting out a long, tired sigh once he was alone. It was times like these when he seriously considered contacting the young man's father. But, a promise was a promise and he was not one to break them. One does not call the country's famous former governing council member simply because his son is being difficult.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Kanae bumped into a stylish young woman with short, sleek auburn hair and flawless makeup as she exited the Framer shop where she was picking up her cold weather cloak for her next location assignment. The woman eyed her disdainfully at first before a look of realization crossed over her face. Her expression vaguely reminded her of a certain peppy little Spellweaver she had not seen in several days. When she went to move out of the way and continue down the sidewalk, an arm shot out and stopped her. She turned to look back at the woman.

"You're Kanae, right?" she said with an almost predatory smilie.

"That depends on whose asking," she replied defensively.

"Oh your best friend was telling me all about you the other day," she gushed. "You know, the cute one with that adorable short haircut?"

"O—kay?"

"I wished I could have had more time to speak with her but she was in a hurry when we met," her hand was lightly petting Kanae's arm and it was making her uncomfortable. "Would you be a dear to pass a message along to her for me?"

"I'm not sure if I'll see her before I leave town again…" she broke off.

"Oh, please, do humor me, won't you?" the saccharine smile was starting to get on her nerves.

"Fine," Kanae said flatly.

"Tell her that _I still cannot find the right shoes to match my purse,_ " the woman said with near undetectable wink.

Kanae's eyes widened as she deciphered the code and nodded solemnly at the woman. "I certainly shall Miss… I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name."

"Natsu," she purred. "I'm not sure if I'll get to see her before I head out of town myself, but I appreciate you getting the message to her. Take care!"

Kanae watched the woman sashay down the sidewalk before collecting her wits and walking as quickly as her feet could carry her back to the Spellweaver campus. She had not heard that code phrase used since she and Kyoko were Provisionals. It was a nonsensical sentence they came up with to use with each other when they were out at night in the city alone and one needed to covertly alert the other that someone was making them uncomfortable. After that seemingly random exchange on the street, she was now sure of two things; that woman was actually Kyoko and she was in danger.

* * *

 **DANGER DAYS: THE TRUE LIFE OF THE FABULOUS KYOKO MOGAMI - Seriously this girl is like a magnet for trouble, isn't she? There must be some conspiracy between my keyboard and my fingers where they just keep making terrible situations for her.** **I almost did a dual chapter release since I was so ahead of the game but I still need to do some selective editing and cleaning to the the next chapter before I'm happy with it.**

 **Also, congrats to Darklife21 for paying attention to the hints thus far. I still don't have a gold star sticker to give you so this is the best I could do (which is, honestly, not that great).**

 **Be kind and drop a line and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**

 **AUTHOR OUT!**


	10. Batten

**NOTHING TO SEE HERE: continue on with enjoying the new chapter!**

* * *

Kyoko found herself downtown, alone in a Server pastry shop with a rather large dessert sitting in front of her. She could not remember exactly how she ended up there, only that she had exited the Main Edifice in low spirits and needed something to cheer herself up. When she could not find Kanae in the dormitories, she must have turned to food to console her. Now she sat before a large dish holding a confectionary monstrosity of fruit, custard, pastry and powdered sugar. How far she had fallen from the high she was riding during the whole journey back from the border.

Spoon in hand and ready to drown her miseries in sugar, she did not notice when a platinum-haired man sat at her table and stared at her intently. It was not until she finished her fourth bite that she looked up and noticed the darkly dressed man across from her. His piercing purple eyes bore into her uncomfortably. She squirmed in her seat and tried to avoid his gaze.

"Is there something I can help you with?" she asked finally.

"Only if you can tell me what it was you were delivering to the Defenders last week," how one smirk could have so much malice behind it, she could not comprehend.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she put her spoon down and replied calmly.

"Don't play dumb, Kyoko, it doesn't suit you. I saw you at the Rampart."

"H-how?"

"Oh, it wasn't easy infiltrating that place, let me tell you. Rather, I thought it would actually be easier to split you and your associate up. Too bad that stray blast took you both out and they kept you in the same room with 24-hour guard."

"You mean that wasn't an accident?" she whispered harshly.

"It looked convincing, didn't it? I try my best to put on a good show," he grinned wickedly and uncurled a hand from under the table to reveal the metal claw-shaped tips on the ends of his long fingers. "And don't think you can use that amulet of yours to pull any stunts. I'm well trained in combat magic."

Her hands instinctively went to clasp around her stone and her mind raced as she tried to think of an alternative method of escape. An idea came to her as she watched a person from the table next to them walk across the room to pick up silverware and for their order. He may have been trained in combat magic but, between her cross-training with the Defenders and the Healers, she knew multiple sensitive pressure points on the human body. Not to mention her skill with telekinetic enchantments was finely honed after years of causing her tormentors and bullies to meet with random 'accidents' whilst remaining undetected. Calmly, she picked her spoon back up and resumed eating. All she had to do was wait.

"What do you think you're doing?" he spat impatiently.

"Well, since you're obviously not going to let me go, I might as well enjoy the rest of this while I can," she said with a nonchalant shrug. "Then you, and whoever else you have waiting for me outside can do the whole abducting thing you seem to have planned."

A sanguine smile formed on his face, "You are wise to comply."

"If you say so," she raised a finger as a thought occurred to her. "Which reminds me, how do you know my name anyway?"

"That was surprisingly easy once I got here," he laughed. "It seems you're quite infamous with your fellow Spellweavers."

"Of course, no surprise there" she rolled her eyes. "So, are you going to tell me your name or do I get the honor of calling you Mr. Kidnapper for the remainder of our acquaintance?"

"I go by various names in my line of work, obviously," his chest swelled with pride. "But for the purposes of this encounter, you may call me Reino."

"And by 'line of work', I'm guessing you mean Altrian spy?" she raised an eyebrow at him.

"I knew you were smart," he winked but offered no further details.

"But why go after me instead of—," she stopped herself when the truth registered in her mind. "I was an easier mark, wasn't I?"

"Much as I would love to knock that boyfriend of yours down a few pegs, you were a better choice to obtain what we were looking for," a sardonic smile came over his face.

"We're not together," she grumbled, shoving another spoon of the sickly-sweet confection into her mouth.

"Whatever you say, sweetheart," he shrugged noncommitally. "Everyone in that arena got a good look at the two of you tangled together when they carried you out. No idea what you see in him but, then again, I don't exactly go for the tall, dark and terrifying type."

"Terrifying?" she consciously ignored the comment about her purported relationship with the Archweaver.

"He hides it fairly well but he is far more powerful than he lets on," he almost appeared to shudder. "

Kyoko was genuinely intrigued now and wanted to know more but the opportunity she was waiting on had finally appeared. A patron with an armful of pastries, drinks and utensils was carefully making their way to a table where their companions sat expactantly. Nodding thoughtfully at Reino's last statement, she continued to eat at her dessert with a steady pace until the timing was just right.

The draft was activated mid-bite and the customer tripped on seemingly nothing, sending the contents of their hands directly into the man's face and lap. It was enough of a distraction for her to take the spoon she was holding and jam it solidly into the side of his head. This disoriented him enough for her to exit her seat during the commotion and head straight for the bathroom. Not knowing who, or what, was waiting for her outside of the shop, she had a better evasion plan in mind.

Reino regained his faculties fairly quickly, despite the now excruciating pain in his head, and bolted for the restroom door in pursuit of his quarry. Upon approaching it, the door swung open and an attractive blonde walked out with long wavy hair, blue eyes and a flowing white sundress. She looked at him and gave him an angelic smile as he stopped short of the door.

"If you're looking for the men's room, it's down the hall," she said sweetly as she pointed.

"Of course, my dear," he turned on the charm. "But my companion has gone into this restroom and I wanted to be sure she was alright. Did you, by chance see a young Spellweaver with short black hair come in?"

"Oh, is _that_ what she was?" a hand flew to her face in wonder and her eyes widened. "I was wondering how she managed to turn the wall into a door, walk through it and change it back again."

His alluring smile soon turned into a snarl as he cursed quietly, allowing the blonde beauty to pass before making a hasty exit from the shop. The woman shrugged at his actions and went to the counter to purchase a small tart before leaving to continue down the street towards the open-air shopping center. The throng of people gathered there was so dense that she appeared to vanish as she wove her way through the crowd.

On the other side of the plaza, a young boy with golden hair and green eyes emerged from the bustle and strode towards the nearby park with his hands in his pockets. At the park, he managed to talk his way into a casual game of handball that was starting up between several other teenaged boys there. They played—while the boy kept a discreet, but watchful eye on the passersby who walked through the park—until the edges of dusk began to creep across the sky. With a wave and a farewell shout to his newfound friends, he ran off towards a tall hotel building a few blocks down the street.

Minutes later, Kyoko left the building in her third disguise and no further plan of action. Stopping to check her reflection in a storefront window, she knew there was no way she could return to the campus. She thought to head towards her past employers when she saw a familiar person emerge from a Framer shop with a paper bag in her hand. It was going to be risky contacting someone so close to her, but she hoped her friend would remember their old code.

* * *

Lory Takarada was taking a rare moment to indulge in some leisure reading that evening when the doors to his office violently flew open. When Kanae barged in unannounced, he looked to his assistant who stood just outside the door with a helpless expression. He calmly put down his book and gave the young woman his undivided attention. There had to be a good reason for her to storm into his office the way she had. Before he could even welcome her, he noticed the look of panic she wore and let her speak first.

"You better get in touch with the Defenders and call your wonder boy down here right now," she demanded, nearly out of breath. "Kyoko is in trouble."

He uttered not a single word as he realized time was of the essence. Gesturing towards one of the chairs near his desk, he invited her to have a seat while he beckoned for his assistant and gave a series of terse commands. Within fifteen minutes, he had Commander Shingai from the Defenders' central base come in to talk to her. Half an hour later, the doors to his office opened abruptly once more as Ren rushed inside.

It was evident that he was roused from his bed as he was without his cloak and still in his pajamas with rumpled hair. The myriad of expressions Kanae saw on his face—fear, worry, rage, confusion and pain—made it clear that Kyoko was more important to him than he let on. She initially only asked the Grand Archweaver to include him to test his mettle and see the man her best friend respected so much in action. However, seeing him rush in with total disregard to personal appearance or formalities spoke volumes. Kyoko had managed to ensnare the heart of the top Spellweaver in the guild. She allowed herself a short chuckle; clearly, this girl never does _anything_ by halves.

"Sit," was all Lory said when he saw him arrive and he did so obediently. "As we have little time, I will fill you in briefly; Kyoko spoke to Kanae downtown to tell her someone was after her and she was considering leaving the city. As she was disguised and speaking cryptically, we assume this person has already made contact with her and is pursuing her."

"This has to do with that assignment you gave us, doesn't it?" he sighed.

"What assignment?" she whipped her head around and glared at Ren.

"I'm sorry Kanae, but that is confidential information and, yes, it is logical that this situation is connected to that," Lory explained.

"Well both of you had damn well better come up with something to fix this. If this is connected to whatever secret you are keeping then it's you're fault that she's—she's—," she was frustrated and on the brink of tears.

"I will locate her," Ren interrupted. "But I must be permitted to do it alone."

"Like hell you will," Kanae protested angrily but he raised a pleading hand.

"The way I have to do it will be rather… disorienting for her and potentially draining for me. As such, I will need to use a draft I already have set up at my residence so I can conserve my energy," it was not his most convincing lie, but he looked pointedly at Lory as he spoke. "But I will bring her here as soon as she has the chance to recover."

"Very well," Lory nodded. "Commander, please get in touch with Lt. Inspector Konoe so he can get to work on the other half of this problem and have your best people posted around the campus so we can weed out anyone who might be watching for her return."

"Yes, sir."

"I assume you'll want to stay here until Kyoko comes back?" he turned to Kanae and asked.

"Like you even have to ask," she scoffed and pointed an accusing finger at Ren. "You'd better bring her back safely. I'm only going along with this because she seems to trust you implicitly and has never said anything negative to me about you. But, so help me, I don't care what your rank is, I will come after you if she is hurt in any way."

"I promise I will not let anything happen to her," he vowed with a solemn nod.

* * *

Back in his apartment, Ren peeked at the stone in his amulet casing. It's cloudy yellow color told him he did not have much more time left. She was stressed and she was tired. It would not be long before she was found by whoever was after her. If there was any time he regretted keeping his secret, it was now. Had she known about him and how to fully use her stone, she would not be alone and on the run. However, the time for 'what ifs' and 'should haves' was not available at this juncture.

Re-securing the stone in his amulet, he walked over to his front door, pressed his hand against it and closed his eyes. He pushed outwards with his energy through the stone and searched for a response from its mate. A weak, pulsating ball of light appeared in the darkness behind his eyelids. Relieved, he knew this meant she was still in the city, but somewhere on the eastern side. Further focusing gave him a basic idea of her surroundings; she had just veered off from a main street into a small alleyway and she would be approaching a backdoor along this route in a minute or so.

All he needed to do was adjust the draft on his door and wait until she was close enough. Once she was within range, he quickly opened the door and reached out for her.

* * *

The random parade she caught downtown was a nice distraction even though she was not quite sure what exactly they were celebrating. The numerous people with costumes and painted faces was a bonus for her as she blended in with the procession of masqueraders dressed as chickens. As she was now on her fourth disguise, she realized just how fatigued she was from the multiple quick changes and her recent travels. It was only going to get more difficult for her to maintain her facade if she did not get any rest.

Kyoko diverged from the parade as it rounded a corner and walked quickly down a small alley. Too tired to create a new identity, she considered going back to one of her previous looks as a chicken costume was going to attract more attention the further away from the parade it was. Wondering if she would be able to navigate her way to Jelly Woods' shop by memory, she wished she knew more people in the city.

She did not notice the door opening to her left as she quickly peered over her right shoulder to check if anyone had followed her. With a yelp, she was grabbed by the wing of her costume and yanked inside the open door. Taken by surprise, she could only make a desperate attempt to break free by squirming in her captor's grasp.

"Relax, Kyoko, it's just me," Ren soothed as her panicked flailing in his entryway finally died down. "You're in my apartment. Don't worry, I severed my connection to the door I pulled you through and they can't trace it back here."

"How did you know it was me?" the several disguises she was currently sporting dissipated to reveal a very disheveled Kyoko still dressed in the outfit she wore when he last saw her in Lory's office. "How did you know where to find me?"

"I tracked you through your amulet signature," he confessed.

"How? My signature is unique only to me," he could see the horror in her eyes and knew that she was thinking if he could find her so easily, her pursuer would surely be able to do the same.

"Technically, it's also my signature as well," he saw her confusion and led her away from the door to the small table in his kitchen and offered her a glass of water. "These are not exactly the circumstances under which I wanted to have this conversation, but it would appear that I don't have a choice."

"What are you talking about? What conversation?"

"Do you remember when we visited Jelly Woods before we went to the Rampart and what she said about your amulet stone?" he sat in the chair beside her.

"Yes, but you told me not to worry about it because it probably wasn't true," her hands gripped tightly around the glass.

"That's right, because most if it was not," he nodded. "Only a part of it was."

"… which part?"

"She was right about the user being bonded to the stone, but it doesn't amplify your abilities," he pointed at her amulet. "However, what she did _not_ know, is that it's possible for two people to bond with the same stone and their energies are interconnected."

"I'm not understanding where you're going with this," she frowned.

"Perhaps it would be better if I showed you," reaching up to his neck, he pulled off his amulet and twisted the wooden pieces of the casing apart to reveal the stone inside.

Tears sprang to her eyes and she gasped the minute she recognized the stone encased within. Granted, it had been over a decade since she had last seen both pieces together but she would never forget how it looked for as long as she lived. Reaching out with tentative fingers she picked up the stone and turned it over in her hands, feeling the ridges along the sides as she had all those years ago when he first let her hold it. Kyoko looked up at the stone's owner only to see that his hair and eyes were changing color; brown faded to gold and sparkling green. She gasped at the face she had not seen since she was a child but one she knew all too well.

"Kuon?" she cried in disbelief. "Is that really you?"

* * *

 **AN HOMAGE TO KYOKO'S MANY FACES: I included a nod to her other roles. Can you find them all (it's not that hard; they're very obvious)? The next chapters have been slow-going but I'm making decent progress. I would probably be getting a lot more done if I wasn't spending several hours at a time playing Breath of the Wild when I'm not working but it's just too much fun. I will work on this... maybe. Anyway, always an honor to hear from you so don't be shy and leave a note!**

 **AUTHOR OUT!**


	11. Takeup

**WITHOUT FURTHER ADO: Here is your new chapter. I hope you like it!**

* * *

Kyoko bolted out of her seat and flung herself towards the man sitting next to her. Wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, she sobbed into his shoulder. She was tired, scared, angry and relieved all at the same time and finding out her childhood friend was under her nose the whole time was the final crack that caused the dam to burst. A pair of arms hesitantly returned her embrace, running a hand up and down her back to comfort her. When her sobs dissipated into hiccups, she pulled away and looked at him closely, almost scrutinizing.

"Why?" was all she said; it was a simple word that represented a multitude of questions and he knew she was asking every one of them.

He recalled a past conversation with the briefest hint of a laugh and responded, "Would you like the long version or the short version?"

A tiny smile formed on her lips as she recognized his words, "I will take whichever version you prefer to give me."

"I'd prefer to give you the full story but I promised a very important person that I'd return to the Main Edifice with you once you were located."

"The Grand Archweaver?"

"No, your friend, Kanae. She was reluctant to have me be the only one to find you and was adamant that I bring you back safely," there was that smile again; though, now that it was paired with a familiar face from her past, the twinge in her chest was almost overpowering.

"Do we have to go back out on the street?" she hesitated nervously, distracting herself by carefully placing the stone back on the table.

"No, we can use my door again to go straight to my lab," he offered and she sighed in relief.

"Wait a minute, I thought I wasn't able to use your door because it only allowed you to travel through it," she said, remembering his earlier excuse.

"That's still true, but now that you know we share the same stone, it will allow you through as well," he shrugged sheepishly.

Kyoko looked down at the stone in her amulet and then over at its mate sitting on the table. Hers was mostly blue while his was still yellow. Frowning in thought as she looked at both of them, she pondered. If they were a matching pair, should they not be the same color?

"Why are they different colors right now?" she finally asked aloud.

"Because you are tired and you used up a lot of energy switching from one disguise to the next," he pointed towards his stone. "Your stone broadcasts that to mine, in a way, by changing its color. Varying shades of yellow normally represent negative conditions such as being tired, sick, or hurt while the shades of blue trend towards the positive range."

"Do you know what all of the different shades mean?"

"Not entirely, no," he admitted and his cheeks colored quite suddenly. "You have to be… more acquainted with the other person to learn all the nuances behind each color."

"I see," she looked at him thoughtfully and nodded. "This is going to be a rather extensive talk, isn't it?"

"Unfortunately, yes," he sighed.

She got up and began to walk towards his front door. When she turned back to him expectantly, he gave her a puzzled look.

"Well, let's go get this over with so I can have you to myself afterwards," she flushed when she realized what she said. "I mean… so we can talk with out being interrupted."

"You really need to stop getting my hopes up like that," this time she was the one who looked perplexed and he sighed. "Nevermind, let's get going."

He got up and went to join her near the door. She stopped him with a hand on his chest when he reached for the knob to activate the draft. Pointing to her neck, she smiled politely hoping he would get the message. When he cocked his head to one side, she tried again and pointed to her hair and face.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" she asked finally.

"What do you mean I—oh," he hung his head when it finally registered what she was saying. "That would be important, wouldn't it?"

"You can't go blowing your cover when you haven't even told me what this is all about yet," she chided.

He laughed and went to retrieve his amulet from the table. Securing the stone back into it's container, he put it back around his neck and reactivated the draft. Kyoko watched as his eye and hair color changed back and was surprised at how much older those two little changes made him appear. To think that someone so important to her was hiding beneath the facade of… someone else important to her. It made her head hurt a little as her mind boggled over the whole situation.

"Let's try this again, shall we?" he approached the door once more, activating the draft and motioning for her to enter before him.

* * *

If Kyoko kept a diary, she would be all too excited to report about the day's noteworthy events; a dear friend from her childhood resurfacing _and_ her best friend had initiated a hug for the first time _ever._ Despite being on the run from a maniacal Altrian spy, life was good and today was certainly one for the memory books. Kanae could barely hide her elation at seeing her friend walk through the doors of Lory's office that night and wrapped her arms around her in a fierce embrace when they met. When she asked how she managed to be found so quickly, Kyoko could only shrug and say she was not sure how exactly but she was just glad to be safe.

"I suppose I should thank you for keeping your promise," Kanae sounded indignant when she turned to him but Ren could see the relief and gratitude in her eyes.

"I appreciate you trusting me with this important task," he nodded firmly at her and she heard both what was said and what was unsaid in that statement; _she is important to both of us, failure was not an option._

Lory bade everyone to sit down so they could ask Kyoko to explain the problem in detail and discuss the plan moving forward. She recounted her confrontation with Reino and what little information she could gather from their conversation. After completing her tale and explaining what small inferences could be made from his statements, they moved on to assessing the potential risks for all currently involved. The Grand Archweaver was loathe to leave these three unattended as their connections with each other already proved a detriment when they were split apart. Now that the campus was secured by the Defenders, his only option was to keep them together and close at hand.

"Since we can ill afford to lose any one of you, I have decided that you will all be quartered at my residence until further notice," before anyone could protest, he continued. "I know that Ren and Kyoko are the most directly involved but, considering the ease with which they were able to get information about one of you, I do not want any of you to become collateral for the other. Is that understood?"

They all nodded slowly in response.

"Good, now, Kyoko and Kanae, I will have someone go to your dormitories and collect your things to be brought to you," he directed. "Ren, you are allowed to get your own effects as you are able to travel between here and your apartment without setting foot outside. You are to return here in an hour and we will go together."

Ren left for his apartment and Lory went to give instructions to his assistant while the two young women sat alone in the office. Kanae took the moment to look at her friend—really look at her—as she sat quietly staring at the door through which the Archweaver departed. She looked tired but relieved and… was that a hint of longing? Her eyes softened and a knowing smile came across Kanae's face.

"You should have seen how worried he was when they woke him up and told him you had gone missing," she said with a derisive snort and a chuckle. "The man ran in here still in his pajamas. It was terribly amusing."

"Oh, no, he was supposed to be resting," Kyoko lamented.

"I'm pretty sure even if he was in a coma, he would wake up to help you," she pointed out.

"Kanae!" she pleaded with her friend. "Be serious, of course he wouldn't. He just feels responsible because of the project we worked on together."

She said that but knew in her heart that it was far from the truth. Clearly, he risked exposing his identity just to get to her as quickly as possible. Considering he felt the need to even conceal himself, she guessed that there must be a very important reason behind that. As she was already familiar with who he was in the past, she could not decide if that made her more or less of a threat. There were a lot of blank spaces in her mind that she hoped he would be able to help complete. However, there were some she would rather leave blank at the moment; rather large and intimidating blanks that required leaps of faith that she was not certain she was willing to take.

"Oh, right, _that_ project." Kanae groused. "The one that no one will tell me anything about."

"I wish I _could_ tell you about it," her friend replied sadly. "But I'm not allowed to."

"I know," she relented. "I just wish there was more I could do to help you instead of depending on _'Archweaver Hotshot'_ to do it all."

"No one would even have realized I went missing until it was too late if I hadn't run into you and asked you to relay a message," Kyoko reached out to hold her friend's hand. "None of this would be possible if it weren't for you. So don't go thinking you did nothing to help, I will not have it."

They sat holding each others hand until Lory reappeared and served them each a steaming cup of tea. Chatting about mundane things to keep everyones' minds off of the topic at hand, they waited for Ren's return. Once he arrived, they were escorted by a company of bodyguards to the Grand Archweaver's on-campus manor on the far western edge; a supposed fringe benefit to those who oversaw the Spellweaver departments to balance out the longer working hours. It was a rather grandiose structure tucked into a wooded hillside and while it was befitting of a man of his rank, Kyoko wondered how much of it was actually used—or even appreciated—by one man and his granddaughter.

Said granddaughter must have received word of who would be visiting as a small bundle of curly hair and limbs launched themselves straight into Ren's torso when they entered the foyer. He staggered for a moment under the new weight that was now solidly attached to him and put down the satchel he carried to properly greet the child. She grinned up at him after he gently placed her back on the ground.

"I was so excited when I found out you were coming to visit!" she beamed, hopping from one foot to the other. "I feel like I never get to see you anymore, Ren. You must've forgotten all about me."

"I am happy to see you as well, Maria," he smiled warmly at her. "And I could never forget you."

"And my big sisters are here too!" she cried gleefully as she ran to wrap her arms around Kyoko's legs.

"Hello Maria!" Kyoko bent down to hug her while Kanae carefully sidestepped to avoid any further physical outpourings of affection from the girl.

"This is going to be the best sleepover _ever_!" Maria cheered.

"Now, Maria, these three are here as my guests on official orders," her grandfather interrupted sternly, but relented when she began to pout. "However, I'll be sure to enlist your services as my Ambassador of Entertainment when I think they need a break. How does that sound?"

"You can count on me, Grand Archweaver!" the girl mock-gestured towards Lory with a giggle.

"Very good," he nodded. "Now, I know it is well past my Ambassador's bedtime, but would you kindly show these ladies to the room they will be sharing before you retire for the evening? I would like to speak with Ren for a moment."

"It would be my pleasure," she trilled proudly. "Right this way, ladies!"

They both should have expected that the room in question would be more than just a room in a residence this large. Regardless, neither of them were prepared to be brought to a sizable suite with two separate rooms connected by a shared lounge and expansive bathroom. It was an order of magnitude larger than both of their current living quarters in the dormitories combined. Sitting on one of the plush sofas in the lounge, they stared around them in awe for a moment until an assistant arrived with a satchel each of their belongings and an open invitation to have any additional items collected should they need them.

Once they unpacked and settled in, Kyoko and Kanae were about to turn in for the night when another soft knock sounded at the door to the suite. Kanae made a groan of protest as her friend went to answer the door. The tall Archweaver stood on the other side of it with an apologetic look. She watched the two of them carefully and saw his head was tilted slightly to the side and he gazed at her with soft eyes and a gentle smile. As for Kyoko, well, she had _that look_ again; it was halfway between shy and wistful and just this side of distressed. Lost in thought, she nearly missed that she was suddenly being addressed.

"…wants to speak with me," she only caught the tail end of what Kyoko said but assumed she was referring to the Grand Archweaver. "I don't know how long it will be so there's no need to wait up for me."

"Perish the thought," she lightly scoffed in reply. "I already planned to go to sleep as it is."

She noticed the door had closed and that they were once again alone in the room. It was a reasonable assumption that Ren was waiting out in the hall. Raising a pensive eyebrow at her friend's resigned smile, she watched her turn back to the door to leave.

"Kyoko," she did not mean to call out to her suddenly but was unable to stop herself. "Do you l—?"

Kyoko looked back at her, puzzled when she cut off her own sentence.

"Nevermind, I'll see you in the morning," she waved a hand at her.

Watching her friend leave, Kanae cursed her impetuous tongue. Kyoko herself clearly was not even sure of her own feelings much less confident enough to talk about them. And, for all the furtive glances and subtle affection he showed her, he did not seem like he wanted to push her. She shrugged to herself and went to her room. They would have to figure it out for themselves anyway.

* * *

Lory was more than willing to lend the use of his study when Ren told him of his intention to tell his story now that she was aware of his identity. Considering what they both had gone through in their lives, he thought it would be good for them to be able to relate over a shared past, despite how brief it may have been. This was even more important due to the fact that they were dual-bonded to a stone. They needed to be aware of how their emotions and actions affect the other person. At first he thought it foolish to hope that something other than a friendship would develop between the two but, after seeing their interaction after their return from the border, a strong hope blossomed. Should they ever forge a relationship together, their combined talents through the bond would literally make them a power couple in every sense of the word.

The duo in question approached the study and Lory fought the urge to eavesdrop. No, this was their time now. That did not necessarily preclude him from interfering later but, for now, he would let them have this.

"So, where do you want to start with this?" Kyoko prompted the man now sitting across from her in the spacious study.

"Well, catching up on over ten years involves a lot more than I originally thought," he sat bewildered.

"Is there really that much?"

"It's not a lot in terms of content but some of it is… difficult for me to talk about," he admitted finally. "But I want to be able to answer your questions so, please, don't hold back on my account."

"Then how about we start from the beginning?" she suggested.

"I was born, in the latter part of Wintertide, a healthy baby boy weighing eight—"

"Okay, maybe not _that_ far back," she interjected.

"Sorry, I thought maybe a little humor could improve the atmosphere," he shifted in his chair uncomfortably.

"Kuon," she got his attention calling him by his proper name. "Why don't you drop the disguise and just talk to me like we used to? I know we only had those few weeks together but I'd like to believe we were friends."

The brown hair and eyes were gone in an instant and he sighed, "I considered you a friend as well. In fact, you were the first real friend I had at the time. Everyone else was just trying to get close to me because of my family."

"Oh?" she realized she did not know much about his family other than the short anecdotes he would share with her on occasion.

"There's a reason I never told you my last name," he said plainly. "Not that you ever asked, which was why I appreciated our friendship."

"It never occurred to me to ask since I didn't care about that," she confirmed. "I still don't."

"Not even if I told you that I'm the son of Kuu Hizuri?" he challenged

"I—okay, you've got me there," she hesitated thoughtfully. "I wasn't exactly prepared for _that_ name. But, it still doesn't matter."

"It doesn't?" he was surprised by her cavalier manner.

"Why would it?" she dismissed. "I suppose I could say that it explains how talented you are but, that's not completely due to your parentage is it?"

"So you don't care that my father was once one of the most powerful men in this country?" he confirmed.

"Should I?" she countered. "I don't see how that has any bearing on who _you_ are as a person."

"You're… amazing, you know that?" he gaped at her in awe, her face reddened under his stare. "Most people hear I'm a Hizuri and you can almost see the gears turning in their heads as they try to figure out how to leverage it to their advantage.

"W-well as someone who's frequently misjudged by my peers, I suppose I'm more sensitive to it than most," she admitted. "I guess I just try a bit harder not to do that to others."

He smiled tenderly at her as she continued, "Even if you had told me when we were children, I wouldn't have cared then either. I was just happy to have a _friend_. I thought you were pretty impressive in your own right even without knowing who your father is."

"Thank you," he said simply.

Kyoko appeared to be seriously pondering something before she spoke again,"So the real reason you keep re-reading _The Enchanted March_ is because—?"

"It was my only form of fatherly advice for the past few years," he lets out an embarrassed laugh. "Since I've voluntarily estranged myself from my parents, it was the closest thing I could get to actually talking to them."

"So, what exactly was your reason for leaving home then?" she pressed. "Keeping your distance from power-hungry vultures can't be the only reason why you're hiding your identity."

"Ah, well that would lead us to the next part of our story," he suddenly turned solemn. "In which I faked my credentials to join the Cretian military."

Thus began a winding tale of the guile and outright lying he performed in order to get into the military with his best friend, Rick. Although he originally enlisted in the infantry with his friend, his skill with spells was discovered by his superior and he was transferred to a regiment of battlemages. While they are trained in both shielding and attack spells, most battlemages are assigned to do one or the other. Kuon requested a defense assignment to remain closer to the infantry troops.

Rick tried to warn him on multiple occasions that there was a good reason why battlemages were required to focus on either offense or defensive maneuvers. However, the recklessness of youth brought the temptation to demonstrate that he was every bit as talented as his father, if not more so. As such, on a number of campaigns, he was both shield _and_ sword when engaged in combat. This earned him both a great deal of respect and infamy; both of which provided sizable boosts to his ego. However, nature always has a funny way of demanding recompense for the good fortune it has bestowed.

It was towards the end of their campaign to push Altrian forces back to the border when they discovered a trap set to lead them into an ambush. The reconnoiter team gave them notice of a garrison setting up at the ridge of a valley, waiting for them to approach from below. They split up the units and sent only a small team—Rick included—to proceed on their original path while the rest spread out to close in from both sides. As one of the strongest battlemages, Kuon was to help defend the centrally advancing team.

Hubris can be a hell of a drug, especially when having the advantage in battle, and Kuon was wholly intoxicated. Never in his young life had he indulged in quite an exhilarating experience as this. He never heard the shouts of caution as he broke formation from the rest of the defending battlemages and continued to press forward into the fray. What he did hear was the call of his best friend asking for help. Turning in the direction of the shout, he saw Rick was surrounded and he broke into run, desperate to reach him in time. Though he managed to get a few away with several energy pulses, he was still too far to put up a barrier. Blades clashed as he watched his friend valiantly fend off his attackers and he continued to run to his aid. When he was within range, he was too late and he watched as the yellow glow of an enchanted blade pierced through Rick's armor and into his sternum.

"All I heard was a loud gasp as I watched the light go out of his eyes," he choked out, Kyoko could tell he was trying his hardest not to give in to the tears that gathered in the corners of his eyes. "I'll never forget that sight."

"I'm so sorry," she consoled. "That must have been an awful experience."

"I think what made it worse was seeing his girlfriend when I went home for the memorial service," he shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. "When I apologized for what happened, she just stared at me with this faraway look and said she understood that I did all I could. I think I wanted her to get mad at me; to yell or curse me or something but, she almost looked like she felt sorry for me and I didn't quite know how to handle that."

The truth about his age came out soon afterwards when his parents learned that he had not, in fact, left home to participate in a battlemage shadowing program. He was immediately sent home, where he was no longer distracted from his thoughts and the reality of Rick's death. It was not long before he withdrew into his own self-loathing and depression. His mother and father both noticed and worried constantly about how to help their son. When a family friend visited from Grismeir, an opportunity presented itself.

"Grand Archweaver Takarada is an old friend," he explained. "He gave me the chance to come to Grismeir and enroll in the Spellweaver guild as a Provisional and work my way up just like my father did. Only, I would do it without the connections and trappings of my family name. He challenged me to earn the right to that name through my own efforts."

"And so, here you are, doing just that," she finished for him with a sad smile.

"Indeed," he mirrored her smile. "It was all going well according to plan except…"

"Except what?"

"Except, I didn't plan on finding you."

* * *

 **HOLY MOTHER-OF-LONG-CHAPTER: This is the longest chapter I've written to date, I believe, but I felt like I couldn't end it any earlier than when I did. I commend anyone who can write a chapter with 10k+ words as I don't think I have the mental fortitude to do that. Anywho, there is still a lot more to come as we're not quite close to the end of this tale. The next chapter may be a little late due to some looming deadlines so if you don't see an update next Tuesday, that's why. I'll try to at least put it up before the end of the week if that happens. As always, thanks much and keep in touch!**

 **AUTHOR OUT!**


	12. Platen

**SORRY FOR THE DELAY: Well, I did promise you I would have it up by the end of the week if I got tied up with other things... which I did. I tried to squeeze time in to work on this when I could so here you go!**

* * *

"Well, I suppose that makes sense," Kyoko reasoned. "We met when we were young and I had not yet decided which guild I wanted to join."

That was not entirely what he meant but he was not sure he wanted to correct her at this juncture so he gave in, "Ah, right, and I never thought I'd be returning to Grismeir for anything other than the occasional family vacation as we used to."

"It's funny how we've met twice because of our own mistakes," she said offhandedly.

"I _wish_ I could call my experience a mistake."

"Why not?" she argued. "You were young and ill-prepared for the what you faced. Granted, it came with very heavy consequences, but it was still a mistake."

"What life-altering decisions were you making at fifteen that you could label as a mistake?" he challenged.

"I believed that I was going to marry the boy next door," she said quietly as if she almost did not want him to hear her.

"Oh," he said, suddenly sobered. "Sorry, I suppose you have a point."

"That's okay. Besides, if it weren't for that, we really never would have met again," she smiled gratefully at him. "If that was what it took to find you, then I suppose I am thankful, in a way, that it happened."

"You always did have a talent for finding the positive in anything," he grinned.

She shrugged with a smile, "Besides, since we apparently share a bond with a stone, isn't it better for us to be able to work together now?"

Kuon suddenly found that talking about Rick was actually easier than talking about this subject. There were a number of things she needed to know, but some of those he would rather not tell her. Even if it was only an old tradition—and one that was not always conventionally followed as it was more symbolic than anything else—it was important that she was fully aware of the situation in which she unwittingly became involved. However, as it was his fault they were in this situation in the first place, he would need to step up and take the lead. Maybe he could start with a few basic facts and they could handle the heavier implications later.

"About that," he hesitated. "There's something important I should probably tell you about that. Well, there are several things but those can… wait for now," he was fumbling over his words and she looked at him oddly. "Anyway, it's about what happened at the Rampart."

"What about it?" Kyoko said flatly, not sure if she wanted to hear another revelation regarding _that_ particular incident.

"Well, you never actually activated a draft that day. I was the only one," he paused for a second before continuing. "Because we are connected through the our amulet stones, we can use each other's energy when ours isn't enough to complete a draft. As such, I used up everything you and I both had to deflect that wave away from you."

"That's why we both passed out?" her eyes went wide.

"Yes," he nodded slowly. "I'm sorry for doing something like that without you knowing but I didn't think there was any other choice."

"I'm pretty sure the only other choice was for me to get hit," she pointed out. "So, in that respect, you did what you thought was necessary. But is that something either one of us can do to the other without their knowledge or consent?"

"Technically, yes," he admitted. "However, when two people are bonded to a stone there's usually an… agreement, of sorts, to respect each other's boundaries and communicate. It is also possible for one of us to voluntarily lend our energy to the other should we choose to."

"This is sounding an awful lot like some sort of contract," she puffed out her cheeks and sighed.

"I suppose it is in a way," Kuon was not comfortable with the direction in which the conversation was headed and tried for a distraction. "But, here, let me show you some of the other things you can do through your stone before we go to sleep. Maybe if you learn a bit more about it, this won't seem quite so daunting."

Kyoko relented and he proceeded to delve in to a few of the minor perks of the bond. She surprised to learn though, in hindsight it made sense, that they had a way of communicating through their amulets. It was not very sophisticated, as one would imagine, and only conveyed emotions rather than words. However, she decided it could prove useful in a pinch and would, at least, make things fun like passing secret notes to a friend in class. The sensation she got when he sent her a 'message' through her amulet would take some getting used to. Imagine feeling an emotion that's not your own for just a split second before it vanishes completely. He made sure she tried it several times to make sure she understood before moving on but, being the fast learner that she is, she had no problems catching on right away.

She next learned how he was able to track her through her amulet signature when she was still downtown. That one took a bit more focus as she was not quite used to the fact that there was an extension to her own amulet. Kuon tried to explain it as she was essentially trying to track a part of herself that was not exactly her but rather a counterpart. Once she overcame the mental hurdle of accepting that concept, she took to it like a natural.

"Oh! I can see you!" she exclaimed happily from behind closed eyes. "Wait, why are you walking away?"

"So you can see how it looks when I move around," he explained. "Can you see the room we're in as well?"

"Just barely," she furrowed her brow. "It's very dark."

"It usually will be but, that's good, I think you've got it. Why don't we call it a night since it's pretty late and I'm sure you're exhausted?" he suggested.

"That's probably a good idea," Kyoko scrubbed at her eyes. "I'll head back to my room then."

"Do you want me to escort you?"

"I think I can manage to retrace my steps down two hallways on my own but thanks," she shook her head. "Besides, I heard you didn't get much rest today either."

"Yes, but it was to help you," he nodded "I don't regret my choice."

"Thank you," she looked at him with grateful eyes. "Really, if it weren't for you and Kanae… I don't want to think of what might have happened."

"Then don't think about it," he soothed. "Go get some rest and I'll see you in the morning."

"I will. Goodnight, Kuon," she let out a light chuckle. "It still feels so odd to call you that."

He smiled, "Goodnight, Kyoko."

* * *

Early afternoon of the following day found Kyoko, Kanae and Maria sitting in the den on their second game of Scarto. The young hostess was sitting pretty as the winner of the last game and Kanae was struggling to take as many tricks as she could to make up for her previous, abysmally low score. Kyoko managed to stay well in the middle of the range despite not fully paying attention to the game. Her mind kept wandering as she mulled over everything from the day before.

What her mind kept sticking on was not necessarily what Kuon _had_ said to her, but what he had not. Though he did say that there were some more important things she needed to know, he seemed hesitant to tell her what they were. This whole thing about their stones had her thoughts quite jumbled. It felt less like they were bonded to a stone and more like they were bound to each other and she was not entirely certain how she felt about that. Why did he give her half of his stone in the first place? Granted, they were both young at the time; perhaps he was not fully aware of the consequences should she choose to actually use the stone for anything other than a memento of their friendship. Nonetheless, a warning would have been nice.

 _'Maybe he didn't know at that time either and that's why he never said anything,'_ a contrasting opinion voiced itself in her head.

She shrugged to herself at that thought. Maybe that was the case but she would not know for sure unless she asked him. It was going to be a challenge to figure out how to do so since talking about this subject seemed to make him as uneasy as it did her. Her decision was to wait for now and ask once they were past the danger of the current situation.

"Why are you shrugging?" Kanae asked pointedly.

"What?"

"You just shrugged while looking at your cards."

"Oh, well I realized it didn't matter which one I chose to play between the few I have left," she replied smoothly.

Kanae knew this was a lie but left it alone. Her friend seemed out of sorts since she woke up this morning. Anyone else would have attributed it to the events which took place the day before but, somehow she knew that was not the case. If anything, she was willing to wager a tidy sum on the cause being a certain Archweaver who happened to exchange odd looks with Kyoko over breakfast. At one point, she could have sworn she saw her wince quickly and then glare at Ren across the table who, in turn, looked apologetic. Somehow, the two of them had reached a level of communication that rivaled even the seemingly innocent looks she and Kyoko would give each other when trying to convey a message. It should have made her jealous but, for some reason, it did not. Well—to be perfectly honest—perhaps it did, but only a little and now was not the time to be petty.

* * *

Ren had retreated to the Grand Archweaver's rather impressive library after breakfast when Maria suggested playing games. He assumed the girl would have more fun playing with her 'big sisters'. Plus he wanted to give Kyoko some space to process everything. He made a mistake that morning by trying to communicate through her stone to ask how she was feeling. Apparently, he broadcast a bit too strongly and he saw her flinch briefly and her lips tighten in pain before she shot him a venomous look. This was a first for him as well so he was not yet accustomed to remembering to dial it back for her sake.

Absentmindedly thumbing through a random book he pulled off the shelves, he felt a faint call from Kyoko. Not quite sure if it was an inquiry or a request, he sent out a questioning response in the hope she would interpret it as an invitation to repeat herself. He felt it much more strongly when she replied. It was a very polite beckoning feeling and he figured she was asking him to join them in the den. With an affirmative confirmation, he closed the book he held and left the library.

"See, Maria?" he heard Kyoko say when he walked into the room. "His ears must have been itching because you wished to see him so badly."

He raised an inquisitive eyebrow and suddenly felt her urge him to play along.

"I wondered what that was all about." His hand reached up to scratch at his left ear and he squinted at the grinning child, "Maria, are you sure you only use those cards of yours for games or do I need to tell your grandfather you're dabbling in some sort of dark craft?"

"No, Ren, I swear I was only wishing you would come spend some time with us," her eyes were wide like saucers and she frowned apologetically.

"Well, far be it from me to deny the request of a beautiful lady," he smiled charmingly at the little girl and picked her up as she squealed with delight and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Kyoko nearly jumped when she felt him through her amulet. How in the _world_ did he manage to convey a wink through this medium? Words failed her to describe exactly how that felt, but she knew exactly what the sentiment was. She looked away and fought back a blush but a light warmth dusted her cheeks all the same.

"And what would our Ambassador have us do now?" he asked Maria.

"It's such a nice day outside," she tried her best to straighten out her dress with one hand while still hanging on to him. "I think I shall arrange for us to have lunch in the garden."

"An excellent choice, Ambassador," he nodded in agreement. "Will you need me to put you down so you can make the necessary arrangements?"

"If you would be so kind."

She ran off towards the kitchen once her toes touched the ground. Within an hour, all four of them enjoyed a light lunch in the enclosed garden. Ren suggested they all go back to the library together for a quieter activity and promised Maria he would read with her as an incentive for her to agree. Kanae and Kyoko were grateful for the reprieve; they were unsure as to who exactly was entertaining whom at this point.

The evening found them still in the library, curled up in opposite corners of the room with a book of their choosing. Maria had long since fallen asleep to the calming sound of Ren's voice as he read to her. She remained curled up against his side in the chair. Kyoko almost nodded off a few times as well from listening in but she would never admit it while stifling the occasional yawn. The silence was broken when the library door opened and one of the housekeeping staff came in to collect the small girl and take her to her room. They were followed by Lory who looked gravely at Ren before he spoke.

"I need to see you in my study," the words he spoke were simple enough but they felt heavy in the air once he said them.

Ren slowly got up and followed him out of the room while the two young women stared after them.

* * *

"Please tell me I am mishearing you," Ren clenched and unclenched his fists, barely containing his sudden anger.

"I wish I could say that you were," Lory sighed in resignation. "However, we should have seen this coming considering they haven't been playing fair since they tried to get Kyoko."

"How did they even figure it out?"

"Honestly, I can't be sure," he admitted. "For all we know they may not even be certain and are just using speculation to see if they can smoke you out."

"What do they want?" his head fell to his opened hands and he fisted them in his hair.

"Same thing they wanted from her," he gestured to the door, indicating he was talking about Kyoko. "They want to know the details behind what we gave the Defenders and how it works so they can come up with a way to counteract it."

"If they spent so much time digging into my background, couldn't they have found it out already?"

"The Defenders are very good at what they do and trying to get anything from them would be a difficult task." Lory shrugged. "They're trying to find an easier way in by exploiting any weak points and you are a big one."

"Did they really have to go after my family?"

"You're the only son of a very powerful former leader," he reasoned. "Of course they did."

It was hard to believe that Altrian intelligence somehow figured out that he was Kuon Hizuri but the Grand Archweaver told him as much once they were in the privacy of his office. Apparently a messenger was sent to his office to communicate their demands in no uncertain terms. They were threatening harm to his mother and father if their requirements were not met. There was a possibility that it was all a bluff, but now that they were gambling with lives it was difficult to not take them seriously.

"I'm assuming you have a plan. Have you talked to Lt. Inspector Konoe about any of this?"

"Yes, he agreed that we're going to give them what they want," Lory sighed again. "We can't have anyone's life in danger because of this."

"But they don't exactly know what it was that we delivered, right?"

"No," he answered carefully, wondering where he was going with this.

"Then we can always alter the draft and sabotage them somehow."

"You really think they won't hesitate to retaliate once they realize it?" Lory argued. "That would make things go from bad to worse. We don't want to have a war on our hands."

"They're making threats to a respected public figure and his family," Ren hissed. "I get the feeling they have no qualms about starting a war."

"Yes, but _we_ cannot be the ones to instigate it," he tried to calm him down. "You know this country can't do that without a direct order from the Council."

"Then surely arrangements can be made to bring them under someone's protection," he suggested desperately.

"Like I said before," the Grand Archweaver took on an exasperated tone. "We can't confirm whether or not they have concrete evidence about you. If any move is made to tip them off that they might be correct, both you and your parents would be in even greater danger. You know that as well as I do."

"Can you warn them at least?"

"The Defenders have already assigned operatives to do just that," he folded his hands across his lap. "Kuu is a very powerful Spellweaver so I've no doubt he can take care of himself and Julie. I'm sorry, Kuon, but that is the most I can do."

"Fine," he relented. "But I want to be the only one with a part in this."

"I was not going to get Kyoko involved if that's what you mean."

"Well, that's something on which we both agree."

* * *

Kyoko started to worry when she watched Ren leave with the Grand Archweaver. It only doubled in force when she and Kanae retired for the night while the two men were still sequestered in the study. Using the skill he taught her only the night before, she focused on his signature in the large house and saw him moving back and forth in an almost circular pattern. He was pacing, she recognized, but she was curious as to why.

Reaching out to him through his amulet she sent him a timid query and waited. She wondered if it even registered to him and thought to try again but decided maybe it was not her place to ask. Getting up from where she sat on her bed, she stretched and dressed for sleep. The covers were barely pulled up to her neck when his answer blared through her with jarring intensity. It was a jumble of pain, anger, disgust, sadness and resignation. Kyoko placed a hand on her chest and take a few deep breaths to recover when she felt his accompanying apology. She tried to send something soothing but, not knowing what was causing the sudden outburst, it felt a little unsure. He sent back reassurance and a final apology before she decided she would have to wait until they next spoke with each other to find out more.

* * *

 **BE PATIENT, I PROMISE IT WILL BE WORTH THE WAIT (hopefully): I know a lot of you were excited about the possible sailing of a ship and I'm sorry to disappoint. There will come a time when our two main characters find their way to each other, but it is not this day. It'll still happen faster than the actual manga since this story will not take 10+ years to develop, so there's that.**

 **The big project I'm supposed to be doing for work has been pushed back and I fear I will be in a serious time crunch near the end of the month. I'll see what I can do about having enough material to keep updating on a semi-regular schedule. Anyway, I love you all and thank you to everyone who has followed the story as I believe I have passed the 100 mark. No idea what I did to deserve that but it warms my heart to have so many interested people!**

 **AUTHOR OUT!**


	13. Lathe

**BROUGHT TO YOU BY MY EMERGENCY RESERVE: I dipped into the reserve again to bring you the new chapter. The next one will probably be pretty late (like, maybe a week late) as I am in mega crunch mode with work. I just got slammed with a huge project and an an obscenely short time in which to do it. Anyway, enough griping... enjoy the update!**

* * *

"You're going to do _what?_ " Kanae asked incredulously.

They were gathered together the following day as Lory shared the news of the resolution that had been decided upon. Lt. Inspector Konoe would be arriving later so he was only giving them an overview since Kanae was present. The finer details could be discussed when she was no longer in the room but she had a right to be informed as to what had been arranged thus far.

"I don't want anyone else to get hurt and we're being expertly backed into a corner here," he sighed.

"So you're just going to hand over the research that Kyoko poured herself into for an entire week like it was nothing?" she was enraged and Ren was silently grateful for her voicing the very concerns he also had.

"Kanae, it's okay," Kyoko tried to calm her friend. "If they really are threatening people's lives, I'd rather give that up then see anyone harmed. Besides, I can always come up with something better to replace it."

"Ever the pragmatist," she said with a derisive snort and rose from her seat with graceful indignation. "Well, do what you want. It's not like I really know what you are all talking about anyway short of code words and vague references. I'll see myself out."

When the door shut behind her, Lory turned to Kyoko, "I was told you are aware of Ren's true identity now, is that correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good," he nodded. "Then I can tell you that a threat was made regarding his family."

"Oh no," she gasped and looked over at him. "I'm so sorry. Please let me know what I can do to help."

"That won't be necessary," Lory waved a hand. "We both agreed that you were not to be involved."

Now that the chips were down, she was to be unceremoniously disavowed? It hurt more than she expected it to. While she knew they were doing it to protect her, there was an uneasiness inside of her when she thought about leaving him to deal with it on his own. She took this dismissal harder than the last one and decided that, this time, she was not about to give up with her mouth shut. There was a sudden fire sparked in her eyes and she straightened herself up in her chair with newfound conviction.

"I was involved the day you called me into your office to make me a part of this assignment," she countered willfully. "And, now that lives are at stake, you want to keep me out of it?"

"That is precisely _why_ we want to keep you out of it. We are treading carefully to avoid an all-out war as well as protect as many lives as possible," the Grand Archweaver explained. "I respect you too much to pull rank but I'll do it if I have no other choice."

"Please, Kyoko," the man beside her begged. "I don't want to see anything else happen to you."

"And you," she turned to him again, her eyes narrowed. "You just dump all of this on me and now you're running off to do this on your own? What happened to working together?"

"When I couldn't protect my best friend, I was devastated. I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't protect you too," he pled with her through his words, his eyes and through her amulet.

She swallowed hard and found it difficult to meet his eyes again, "Just… keep in contact with me alright?" Tapping at the amulet around her neck, she asked, "There's no distance restriction on these things, is there?"

"Not that I'm aware of. I'll do my best to keep you updated," he promised.

"When does he leave?" she turned back to Lory with her question.

"Most likely right after we meet with Lt. Inspector Konoe when he arrives."

"Not much time, then," the two men shook their heads in agreement.

"Will you at least say goodbye to Maria before you leave?"

"I'll make the rounds to see all of you before I have to go," he assured her with a nod.

A knock at the door sounded and someone entered to let everyone know that Lt. Inspector Konoe had arrived. Kyoko took that as her cue to leave and went off in search of Kanae and Maria. She was still upset with being shut out of the rest of the situation. Even though it was supposed to be arranged as a simple exchange of information, there was no doubt it could still be dangerous. Altria had proven that they were not worth trusting from the time they sent Reino after her. Turning back briefly to look at the closed study door, she hoped whatever they were planning would actually work.

* * *

Kanae was in the den tuning a violin she found when the tall Archweaver walked in. After playing a few notes, she pulled it from her shoulder to adjust the strings one more time. Raising it again to her chin she looked up to see him standing there, surveying her questioningly. She quirked an eyebrow at him, the bow in her other hand hovered in mid-air over the violin.

"What?" she asked finally.

He squinted and scratched idly at the back of his head. "I just never pegged you as someone who plays the violin."

"Well, I never pegged you as someone who'd have a thing for my best friend but here we are," she retorted.

"Hm, well played," he said with a light chuckle.

"If you're looking for her, she's out there," she pointed her chin towards the glass-paned double doors that led out to the terrace.

"I wanted to bid you farewell also," he said with a nod. "I don't know if she told you but I'll be gone for a few days to settle this."

"Oh I got an earful already about it," Kanae rolled her eyes. "She's still not happy you chose to do this alone. I know why you're doing it, however," she offered. "It's just that she's grown accustomed to fending for herself."

"I understand," he said solemnly. "I won't patronize either of you by asking you to look after her while I'm gone."

"I would've jabbed you in the ribs with this bow if you did," she smirked making a stab at the space between them with the implement she held. "Now, get out there and talk to her, lover-boy. She's worried about you."

He inclined his head to her in gratitude before exiting through the doors she pointed out earlier. Kyoko apparently took advantage the westward-facing balcony to watch the sun as it started its gradual descent below the horizon. Perched on the railing, her legs dangled dangerously off the edge as she stared into the distance. He stared at her as the light breeze blew her hair this way and that and suddenly found it difficult to breathe. The impulse he had to run away was as strong as the one he had to run to her and confess everything he was still keeping from her. Banishing both ideas, he straightened up and made slowly made his way towards her, quietly announcing his presence so as to not startle her. He leaned over the balcony railing beside her and rested his elbows on it.

"Hey," he said softly looking off in the same direction as her.

"Is it that time already?" she looked over at him and matched his tone with a sad smile.

"I'd rather leave sooner at this point," he turned to her. "That way, I can get back to you quicker."

"Oh," she turned red in an instant. "We do still have more to talk about, I guess."

"That's part of it, but I hope we'll have a chance to spend time together outside of… all this," he motioned with a hand to nothing in particular.

"I—that would be nice," she finished unsteadily.

Rather than interpreting her acceptance as more than what it appeared to be on the surface, he dug into the bag he was carrying and pulled out a small book. She looked at it curiously when he handed it to her and turned it back and forth, examining the cover. It was quite old, covered in various creases and wrinkles and the corners had rounded with age.

"It's a mineral lore book my mother gave me when I was very young," he explained. "She also gave me our stone at that time. I thought maybe it would be helpful in explaining some more about it while I'm gone."

"Thank you," she tilted her head, trying her best to cope with the fact he called it 'their stone'. "You'll be careful, won't you?"

"As careful as I can be, I suppose," he said with a shrug. "At least, I won't be going alone. They're sending someone with me, a Defender."

"Well _someone's_ got to take care of you, after all," she let out a short laugh then became solemn. "You let me know if anything happens. I know there's not much I can do from here but—"

"You'll be the first to know," he finished for her. "If anything, it will be good to have an external contact they don't know about."

"You should probably get going, right?" as much as she did not want him to leave, she knew his time was limited. "I don't want to hold you up."

"You're not holding me up," he reassured. "I specifically requested time to speak to everyone before I left and you're the last one I have come to see."

Kyoko made a small sound of recognition. The way he was looking at her caused her throat to constrict slightly; not to mention the pounding of her pulse in her ears. She felt hot and cold at the same time and wondered if she was either going mad or getting sick.

"However, I would like to get this over with," he continued noticing her slight discomfort. "Wish me luck, I suppose."

Not knowing what came over her, she leaned to one side and her lips lightly touched his cheek, "Good luck, Kuon."

He looked shocked at first and she instantly regretted what she had done until the most brilliant smile crossed his face and he stood up straight, "Thanks."

He left her then, with a promise to return soon. Kyoko remained on the terrace with her head down, the sunset in the distance long forgotten. The sounds of a violin being softly played indoors came to an end and Kanae joined her outside, wrapping an arm around her friend.

"Oh, Kanae," she lamented. "I wish I didn't have such a bad feeling about this."

* * *

Not knowing exactly what they were walking in to, Lt. Inspector Konoe and his strategists tried to plan for every contingency they could foresee. Ren was slightly thankful that Lory neither confirmed nor denied the allegation of his identity, but he was unsure as to whether it would be a benefit or hindrance. He decided to stay quiet about it since it would most likely make him more of a liability than an asset.

The arrangement was to meet at an Altrian facility near the border. Ren would be accompanied by an operative trained in negotiations by the name of Kijima and other Defender personnel would be stationed nearby surrounding the facility. While the preference would be to accompany him with a full regiment of troops, it was prudent to keep up the appearance of an amicable meeting and not tip their hand too soon. The Council of Ten had been adamant about avoiding any conflicts with their neighbors to the West. Keeping a close watch on them was one thing; picking a fight was another thing entirely.

The meeting was scheduled for the following morning after he arrived at Rampart. He dressed slowly in the artificially lit room he occupied in the underground facility and took deep calming breaths as he went along. It would not do for him to meet with the opposing forces half-cocked and anxious. Archweaver Ren Tsuruga was the pinnacle of decorum and level-headedness and the pride of Spellweavers across the country. However, Kuon Hizuri was a walking ball of nerves and anger. He felt her then, it was as if she always knew when she was needed to help keep him in check. There was hope and reassurance conveyed to him through his amulet and a peaceful smile crossed his face. Perhaps he _could_ do this after all.

* * *

The room he sat in with Kijima was stark and cold; all pristine greys and unadorned walls. A large glass-topped metal table separated him with the Altrian representatives and did nothing to soften the harshness of the room. If they specifically outfitted it to make their visitors uncomfortable, they did an amazing job. He made sure that it never showed on his face however, and maintained a placid look throughout the proceedings. The chill in the room seemed to be causing him to feel sleepy. He stifled his fifth yawn and listened as the other people sitting at the table droned on. Perhaps he would take a nap after this was done before heading back to the city as there was no way he could get any sort of quality sleep the night before. _If_ this was ever going to be done; he had yet to be given a chance to speak as Kijima continued his negotiations beside him.

So far, everything seemed to be going fairly amicably—well as amicable as it could be considering the circumstances under which he was there. Half listening to the words being spoken, Ren would support the occasional statement with a firm nod. It was getting increasingly more difficult to stave off the wave of drowsiness that was sweeping over him. He swallowed another yawn from behind clenched teeth and fought to keep his drooping eyelids open. He heard the man beside him suddenly break the rhythm in his speech. It was an odd change and he noticed that it sounded almost as if he was having difficulty in getting his words out. It all clicked when Kijima let out a very small and quiet yawn.

Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. This feeling was not unlike the time he saved Kyoko from the stray wave pulse in the training arena. They were somehow being drained of their energy, he realized much to his horror. That was why everything seemed to be proceeding smoothly. Whatever they were doing must have needed some time to be able to fully drain him and his associate. He dreaded whatever waited for him and looked at the faces of the men sitting across from him as they swam in the rapidly dimming light of his vision. The last thing he was conscious of doing was reaching out to contact Kyoko in a haste before he passed out.

* * *

 **SEE YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE OF DEADLINES: I'll be back once things quiet down. Since the deadline for what I'm working on is so close, it'll be sooner rather than later. I'll just be really, stupid busy until then.**

 **Oh, and I forgot to mention at the end of my last chapter that Scarto is an old card game that was originally played using tarot cards. I found it a fitting activity for little Maria and an obscure nod to her fascination with the occult.**

 **Thanks, as always for the kind words, everyone. I'm glad some of you agreed with my decision to prolong the inevitable for just a bit more. This has been a very fun story to write so I hope it continues to be just as fun to read. Hit me up in the reviews when you can and I'll see you when I'm back on my feet again!**

 **AUTHOR OUT!**


	14. Frame

**THE WAIT IS OVER: I am back and my giant project is completed. Here is your new chapter, courtesy of a caffeine-fueled frenzy.**

* * *

 _'Dichroite, also known by its other identifying names as iolite and cordierite, is a magnesium iron aluminium cyclosilicate and is often found in regions where metamorphic rocks in fine-grain sedimentary deposits are typical. In its mineral form, it is commercially used in various mechanical parts for conductivity insulation. In its gem form, it is used in arcane sciences as a point of energy focus for spell casters…'_

Kyoko read through the rather bland and clinical description with little interest and scanned through the rest of the paragraph until she came to the section titled 'Capability Enhancements.' It talked about dual bonds with one stone and outlined some of what Kuon had already shown her. She continued to read quietly, sitting at the desk in the lab she once shared with him in the Main Edifice. The Grand Archweaver begrudgingly allowed both her and Kanae to return to campus with the caveat that they were not to leave the building. Her best friend opted to help out on the Provisionals floor for the day, which Kyoko avoided as she knew she would be too distracted with worry to focus.

She skimmed through the remainder of the section as it explained the purported science behind the transference of energy between two bonded stone users. While it was a more interesting read than the first part, she felt she needed additional books to help interpret some of the more unfamiliar terminology. Carefully turning the page, she came to the next section. It outlined the various cultural symbolism in existence regarding the stone. It started out inanely enough explaining how some cultures saw the duality of the colors found in the stone represented both the light and darkness found within oneself. When she came to the next paragraph, her eyes widened.

 _'Referred to in some cultures as the Stone of Courtship or the Betrothal Gem, gifting a piece of dichroite from one that has already formed a single bond is often a symbolic representation of a suitor's intent to court the object of their affection. As the dual bond properties of this stone are strengthened when the individuals bonded to are romantically involved, it is believed that the stone is meant to be a prelude to intended nuptials._

Kyoko reached up to rub at her eyes, as if not believing the context of what she just read. Had she technically been given the equivalent of an engagement ring? That was impossible, they were but mere children at the time. Furthermore, the book never actually named the countries in which this custom was prevalent anyway. She fought to push the notion from her head and kept reading.

 _'The practice of this custom has declined in recent years as excessive mining depleted the once-ready deposits of dichroite, in addition to the rise in popularity of other engagement rituals due to globalization.'_

Releasing a breath that she was not aware had been held, she sighed. There was a slight reassurance that she may have been overanalyzing things. However, when she recalled how uneasy Kuon was talking about certain aspects of their bond with the stones, she wondered if this was the cause. She knew the best option was to ask him directly about it when she saw him again, _if_ she saw him again. The feeling of dread faintly floated around the edges of her consciousness as she thought about the decision he made to protect his family, to protect her. With another sigh, she put the book down and looked towards the window. Worrying was not going to do any good. Besides, the last time he contacted her, he seemed relatively fine— if a bit nervous, but that was to be expected.

Her gaze wandered idly through the room and landed on the bookshelf where she decided then to bide her time gathering further information about how energy transference through the stone is used. She hoped Head Scribe Yashiro was in his office and willing to help with her search. Picking up a piece of paper, she jotted a short note describing the type of texts she wanted and a polite request for his assistance in gathering them. Marking the paper with the symbol matching the one on the bookshelf, she sent the page on its way to the intended recipient.

It was anyone's guess as to how long it would take for him to respond, so she continued to read the book in front of her when what felt like an icy grip wrapping around her lungs rather abruptly stole her ability to breathe. The book she held in her hand plummeted to the floor with flapping pages and ended in a soft thump. Her whole body shook as a violent sensation rocked her from head to toe and she gripped the edges of the desk with white knuckles. Just as swiftly as it came, it was gone and she struggled to catch her breath, leaning forward on the desk and panting heavily.

Kyoko squeezed her eyes shut, her hand was still shaking as she reached up to wrap it tightly around her amulet. Tears burned at her eyes and she fought to keep them at bay, her teeth bared in a tight grimace. A low moan growled from her throat and she pulled herself upright. She took another shuddering breath before bringing the amulet forward and unclenching her fist, her stomach bottoming out before she could even look at the stone. A milky grey-yellow color met her eyes and she choked back a sob.

In the next instant, she out of the laboratory and running through the hallway towards the Grand Archweaver's office. Onlookers stood puzzled as they watched her barreling down the hallway, her cloak fluttering behind her.

* * *

"Is it really alright for you to be here?" Lory asked his guest, who sat before him devouring a rather large sandwich.

"No one saw me come here, if that's what you're worried about," they replied between bites.

"I didn't mean that," the Grand Archweaver waved a dismissive hand. "What I meant was whether or not you should be leaving your dear wife alone like this."

"Oh, she was actually the one who told me to come here," his words were slightly muffled by the mouthful of food he was chewing. "She wants to know what's going on."

"You already know what's going on," Lory deflected.

"Those Defenders never tell you more than they think you should know. What they told us was generic at most so I came here hoping my _friend_ would tell me the rest of it."

Lory sighed heavily and opened his mouth to explain when they were interrupted by the sudden opening and closing of the door to his office. His guest froze in his seat and stared straight ahead instead of turning around to see who had entered. It was a good instinctual move as the last thing he needed was for someone to recognize him.

"I am sorry, Grand Archweaver, your assistant did not inform me that you were with a guest but I would not have come here if it was not important," Kyoko gestured with a bow.

"It is alright, Kyoko, my assistant did not know I had a visitor," he noticed her worried expression and the hint of tears in her eyes. "Is everything alright?"

"I can come back if need be," her voice was shaky and she repeatedly wrung her hands. "Or, if you have a moment to talk in private, I can tell you. It's regarding R— Archweaver Tsuruga, sir."

The man sitting across from him fidgeted in his chair and Lory clearly saw the question in his eyes. He gave the man a brief nod and he immediately turned around to face the woman who stood in the middle of the room. Her eyes widened in recognition when she saw him and she inhaled sharply. With the deepest bow she could muster, she gestured reverently to the man who now regarded her with questioning green eyes and the hint of a frown.

"M-m-my deepest apologies, Your Excellency. I did not know it was you," she stammered while cursing herself for being awestruck when there were more important things to address.

"No need for the formalities, Weaver. I am retired, after all," he said nonchalantly.

"Kuu Hizuri, please allow me to introduce you to Class 1 Weaver, Kyoko Mogami," Lory said with a nod and gestured for her to sit beside the man. "Now, what is the purpose of your rather urgent visit?"

"I have reason to believe that Archweaver Tsuruga may have… run into some difficulties," she hesitated as to how to voice her concern.

"And what has led you to believe this?"

"You could say… it's a feeling, sir," she reached into her cloak and brought out her amulet to show him.

"Where did you get that?" Kuu asked with a strained voice staring intently at the stone.

"That is a rather long and circuitous story, Your—sir," she replied meekly.

"And not important at the moment," Lory interjected sternly. "Was there anything else? Did he contact you or did you just notice the stone had changed?"

"He did contact me. It was very… intense," the Grand Archweaver motioned for her to continue and she swallowed the lump that had lodged itself in her throat. "I felt pain, fear, fatigue and surprise and then it was gone."

Kyoko shifted uneasily in her chair as both men stared at her. This was not something she was prepared to reveal in front of someone other than Lory. Not to mention that the other person just happened to be the father of the man in question. She felt the stinging behind her eyes again and gritted her teeth together. Tears were not productive at this moment.

"Kyoko, please go tell my assistant to get me in touch with Commander Shingai immediately," Lory instructed. "Tell them it is an emergency."

She got up without another word and rushed to the door. Having watched her departure, Kuu turned back to the man on the other side of the desk, his mouth agape and eyes filled with worry. He closed it quickly and blinked before he spoke.

"Is she his—" he broke off when the other man shook his head.

"No, well, not yet anyway, and that will be up to him to tell her, not you," he tried to explain in a hurry, knowing she would be back at any moment. "Like she said, it's a long story. One they can both tell you later."

"So, she knows who I am to him?" Kuu whispered in disbelief.

"Yes, but she knows better than to make any assumptions about addressing you as such, especially since no one else here is supposed to know that" Lory whispered back. "She's a very smart young woman."

She returned at that moment and both men went silent when she re-entered the room. Shyly returning to her seat beside the retired former leader, she looked expectantly at the Grand Archweaver. However, it was Kuu who spoke first.

"So, how are you planning to get my son back?" he asked bluntly, not missing Kyoko's slight flinch at his words.

"I will have to confer with the Defenders on how best to approach this as there has not been any indication that they have detained him," Lory replied calmly. "I will look to their expertise as to how we use this information. You know as well as I do that the Council will not allow the launching of a full-scale assault for the life of one Spellweaver."

"Do they know who he is yet?"

"If they were only speculating before when they made the initial threat, they most likely know now. Especially if he is in that kind of shape," he pointed towards Kyoko's amulet. "I doubt his camouflage would have held up."

Kyoko watched the man clench and unclench his fists as he sat in thought, "What am I gonna tell Julie?"

"Tell her what you want," Lory sighed. "Tell her whatever you must but we won't have any more details until I can meet with the Defenders, which should hopefully be soon."

"Then I will go talk with her and return," he rose from his seat and walked purposefully towards the office door in long strides.

"Wait," Kyoko called out rather abruptly. "Don't you want to leave through a less public exit?"

"You think that kid of mine is the only one who knows how to connect doors for instant travel?" he scoffed. "Please, I'm the one who taught him that. I'll be back in an hour."

* * *

Kuon's eyelids fluttered open, still feeling quite heavy. Wherever he was, it was dimly lit; a small mercy considering the blinding effect a bright light would have on the headache he presently had. He was sitting in a chair, he realized, and his arms were bound to the rear two legs while his feet were bound to the front. The chair itself was not uncomfortable, but the position in which he was restrained made it considerably more so. He shifted slightly and a soft groan escaped his lips.

"Ah, I was wondering when you would wake," a smooth voice carried from somewhere to his right. "It seems you do, indeed, recover quickly."

His head lolled in the direction of the voice and he wondered if he should try to speak or if the other person in the room with him would answer his questions without him asking.

"I apologize if the restraints are uncomfortable," the voice continued in a patronizing tone. "You see, it's very hard to ask an unconscious person if they are too tight.

Kuon grunted in response to this and closed his eyes. Looks like his erstwhile companion would be doing all the talking. As such, he was better off keeping his mouth shut and his options open. He had very few available to him at the moment, considering how exhausted he was.

"You have been drained of your energy to keep you… complacent," the voice was getting closer now. "We can't have you using that amulet around your neck to spoil our plans now, can we?"

The source of the disembodied voice finally got close enough for him to peek open an eye and get a look at them. The pale face, white hair and violet eyes, it was just as she had described him. It was a lucky thing that he was restrained and incapacitated or else he would have wrought his vengeance upon the man for going after Kyoko; well, lucky for them anyway.

"You may call me Reino, but I'm sure that lovely lady of yours would have told you as much," the man chuckled condescendingly.

"I believe the words she used to describe you were 'Altrian dog'," he could not resist hurling the verbal barb at the man hovering over him. "But, hey, whatever you want to call yourself today is fine."

"You talk a good game for someone completely at my mercy," Reino sneered. "A lesser man would have hit you for that, but you are too important to us for me to lower myself to your level."

"Can we just get to the part where you tell me your plan, because I'd like to get back to sleep, if you don't mind."

"Who would have guessed that Kuon Hizuri was such a rude guest," he paused for effect, but when he did not get one from his captive, he resumed. "Yes, the camouflage was quite convincing until you no longer had the energy to maintain it. Now that we can confirm your identity, you will be a pivotal piece in our negotiations with both Grismeir _and_ Cretia."

"Good luck with that," he coughed when he tried to laugh. "I'm no better than a traitor to both; I abandoned one and am living in the other under an assumed name."

"You give yourself far too little credit," Reino drawled. "Once your esteemed father finds out, I'm sure he'd move the heavens themselves just to get you back."

"If you say so," Kuon tried to be noncommital about it, but the tightening sensation in his gut told him the other man was most likely correct.

* * *

"Well, isn't this nostalgic," Kyoko's head whipped towards the lab door as it swung open, letting Kuu Hizuri inside. "I haven't seen my old lab in quite some time."

"Wha—how?" all propriety went out the window as she tried in vain to comprehend how the main got in through a spell-locked door.

She was instructed to wait elsewhere until it was time to meet with the Defenders. As a result, she took her leave of the Grand Archweaver's office and returned to the laboratory where she could worry herself into a frenzy in the privacy of a locked room. And worry she did until a certain former Superior Grand Archweaver somehow bypassed the lock and unceremoniously let himself into the room.

"Lory told me you were here," he ignored her poorly articulated question regarding his means of entry. "He's still waiting on everyone to get here so he sent me away. I figured I'd come see what that boy's been up to since he's been here."

Not knowing what to say, she simply nodded and watched him rove a curious eye over the drafts she left hanging on the walls. He smoothed an idle hand over them as he walked past them. When he reached the bookshelf, he picked random volumes off and scanned through them with disinterest before putting them back.

"Does he remember to eat?" he asked without turning to face her.

"Barely," she admitted quietly. "I've had to force him on occasion."

"Hm, no surprise there," he came upon a sheet sitting on the work table. Kyoko realized it was the layering camouflage draft they created and wondered, pointlessly, if that was something he should be allowed to see.

"This is not his handwriting," he mused, tracing over the lines with his finger.

"Ah, no, sir," she hesitated. "That is mostly mine."

Finally turning to look at her, his eyebrow arched; he looked almost impressed. Kyoko felt awkward as he continued to look at her and wished she knew what to do with her hands as they were currently pulling at each other in a rather useless fashion. He frowned and walked towards her.

"How much do you know about that stone you have hanging from your neck?"

"Sadly, not much. There was not enough time to cover everything before he—," she trailed off, unwilling to finish the thought. "Anyway, I'm trying to research what I can about it in the interim."

"So what was he able to show you?"

She told him briefly about the few things Kuon had explained to her. He nodded slightly as she explained the locating and communicating abilities she learned, "I'm still not clear on the whole energy transference part but I doubt it would be helpful right now."

He tilted his head in question,"Oh?"

"They seem to be continuously draining his energy so he cannot fight back," she reasoned. "It would be a waste for him to try using mine."

"Very clever," he mused. "Lory was right about you."

"I just wish there was more I could do to help," she sighed hopelessly.

A book appeared on the shelf at that moment. Curiosity getting the better of him, Kuu walked over and picked it up, carefully examining the title. He smirked when he recognized it and quickly flipped through the pages until he found the place in it he sought. Turning it around in his hands, he held it out for her to take with an encouraging nod. She approached him and slowly took the book from his hands, looking curiously at the pages. When she looked back up, she noticed he was on his way to the laboratory door.

"I'll tell Lory to call on you once we have a plan of action in mind," he called lightly over his shoulder. "Until then, you would do well to spend your time reading that."

"Yes, sir," she replied obediently.

"Kyoko," he paused in his stride, this time he was looking at the ceiling. "Do you have any feelings for him?"

"I'm… not prepared or comfortable enough to answer that honestly," she stumbled over her words.

"Well, you might want to take some time to figure that out," his voice went deep and serious. "Because it may end up being the only thing that can save him."

* * *

 **OH HOW I MISSED YOU ALL: I was exhausted after all was said and done but I had to make time to get a new chapter out because I hate to disappoint everyone. Thanks to all of you who have stuck with me and for all the great reviews. You all help keep me going when I wonder why I'm writing a chapter at 2am because it needs to get out of my head. I'm happy to hear from you as always.**

 **AUTHOR OUT!**


	15. Tapestry

**YOU CAN SCOOT BACK FROM THE EDGE OF YOUR SEAT NOW: The new chapter is here. I hope you enjoy it.**

* * *

It was an experience similar to the struggle of trying to hear someone speaking in a normal voice at the far end of a long tunnel. Something familiar was tugging on the frayed edges of his consciousness. Kuon tried to focus on it despite his lack of energy. Through the distortion and drowsiness, he realized Kyoko was trying to reach out to him. He tried to reach back, as if his subconscious had hands and fingers that were scrambling wildly in darkness to find purchase. Straining against the restriction of his exhaustion, he tried in vain to get something, anything to her.

She must have perceived his response as he felt her again, just barely. It was a mixture of surprise and relief. Then, after a pause, she continued with reassurance. He noticed, even in his addled state, the undertone of determination beneath that feeling. This was no placating encouragement; she was telling him he was going to be alright, and that she would see to it that he was. He smiled.

"Having pleasant dreams?" Reino's voice cooed in his ear. It sickened him.

"Yes, I was repeatedly introducing your face to the floor," he smirked weakly. "Pleasant enough, but the fact that it was not real leaves me terribly unsatisfied."

Reino let out an irritated growl at this before reasserting his calm demeanor, "It is a shame your usefulness overrides your attitude. I will be glad to be rid of you once we make our demands and they are met."

"Because having a civil conversation would be too much effort?"

"Because we are a nation to be _feared,_ " he snapped back. "And, until we are recognized as such, there will be no conversation."

They sounded more like a nation of cowards than anything else but he refrained from saying so aloud. The less he talked with the man, the better off he was; not because he was afraid of admitting anything but mostly because it was not worth the energy. What little he could hold onto was better used to keep in contact with Kyoko. However, Reino infuriated him with his smugness and, since he could not lash out physically, verbal retaliation was all he had left. With a resigned sigh, he tried to find a more comfortable position in his chair.

"That's right, this will go a lot easier if you just go along with it," Reino soothed mockingly. "Besides, as far as your people are concerned, negotiations are still taking place. No one will be coming to rescue you anytime soon."

Kuon easily refrained from saying anything that time. He was certain they already knew but he would let his captor continue to think otherwise for as long as it benefitted him.

* * *

"We already have a covert extraction team on standby near the location that can retrieve him," Commander Shingai explained to Lory. "However, it would be easier to do so quietly if we knew where he was being kept. The Intelligence division has a fairly detailed layout of the facility but we can only speculate as to where exactly he is."

"We have a Spellweaver that can help you with that," Lory gave the slightest knowing glance to Kuu who barely nodded in response.

"Do you?" the Commander mused thoughtfully. "I wonder if that sort of skill would be useful in the future as well."

"I'm afraid this is something she can only do in this particular situation."

"I… see," the Defender said with a raised eyebrow. "Then we will need to include them for the next part of this discussion."

Lory left his office briefly to ask his assistant to collect Kyoko from the lab. When she arrived, he could see the torment in her eyes like she was waging a battle within herself. He wondered if something transpired between her and Kuu when he visited her in the laboratory and if he ignored his hasty warning to avoid discussing her relationship with his son. It was most likely a safe assumption that the answer to both questions was a resounding 'yes.'

Kyoko sat down with the others gathered and they briefed her on her expected role. Under ideal circumstances, she would only be within range of the Altrian facility and use her ability remotely. They hoped the layouts they had would be able to assist her in pinpointing the right location. Failing that, she would have to be prepared to go on site with the extraction team to help navigate the area and locate their objective. That would be the least desirable situation as she did not have the requisite training for such a mission and would be liability but she readily agreed to do whatever was necessary.

Time would be of the essence if they wanted to make the most of having the element of surprise since it was a reasonable anticipation that, once they made their intentions known, security around his location would be harder to penetrate. As such, it was imperative that Kyoko leave as soon as possible. Lory suggested she go see Kanae before she departed and she left immediately to do so. When Commander Shingai left to make preparations, Lory looked pointedly at Kuu and frowned.

"What did you say to her?"

"Nothing," he defended. "Well…nothing that wasn't especially important for her to know."

"Kuu, we cannot go defining their relationship for them," Lory warned. "The last thing she needs is to be petrified by what her stone _might_ mean as opposed to what it actually does."

"All I suggested was that she think about how she truly feels about him," Kuu said in a placating tone. "If she has to use the power of their bond, she needs to be confident. Otherwise—and you know this as well as I do—anything she tries will be ineffectual."

"Alright, I concede," the Grand Archweaver grumbled begrudgingly, pinching at the bridge of his nose. "You are right, as usual."

* * *

Kyoko found Kanae taking a break in one of the empty offices on the Provisionals floor. Her feet were propped up on the heavy wooden desk before her while she intently read a book. Raising her head when she heard the door, she saw her friend enter the room and her brow creased at the expression on her face. She had that blank mask she usually wears when she was not only trying to convince someone else that everything was alright, but herself as well.

"How are the Provisionals today?" she asked politely.

"Are we going to exchange pleasantries or are you going to tell me what's on your mind?" her friend folded her arms and glared.

"There's n-nothing going on," Kyoko fumbled nervously. "I just wanted to tell you I'll be leaving for a little bit."

"What happened?"

She closed her eyes and sighed, "We think he may have been captured and is being held against his will. I have been asked to help locate him but I have to be on-site."

Kyoko tried to explain, in as few details as possible, the status of the whole situation. Since he had taught her the method by which he was able to find her when she disappeared, she was recruited to now do the same for him. Kanae followed along with a nod, noticing what little the other woman felt she could say. It was clear there was a lot more to this than she was letting on.

"So what are you _really_ worried about?" Kanae never was one for beating around the bush.

"That I'm not strong enough? That he's in worse shape than we think?" the young Spellweaver rambled. "That I'll jeopardize his life or his safety? Lots of things."

"You're quite concerned about him, aren't you?"

"Of course I am, Kanae," Kyoko almost yelled in frustration. "He's… very important to me."

"Important, huh?" Kanae's eyebrow formed a delicate arch. "So this is more than just friendly concern?"

"I don't know anymore," she slumped onto the desk. "This is _exactly_ why I tried to avoid situations like this. I feel—"

"You feel what?" her friend urged her to continue.

"Like my heart wants to jump out through my throat when I'm around him. I want to hurt whoever is trying to harm him. I feel stupid and confused and out of control," she took a deep, shaky breath. "Why is this happening to me?"

"I think you know _exactly_ why," her eyes narrowed. "But there's no reason to be afraid of it. All of those worries you named earlier will be that much easier to conquer."

"How?"

"Because you have a reason to overcome them," she said matter-of-factly, as if it were plainly obvious to everyone. "Let this be your strength, Kyoko, not your weakness."

Kyoko threw her arms around her friend in a tight hug. The other woman reluctantly returned the hug, patting her lightly on the back. They said their goodbyes and Kyoko thanked her profusely for the advice. Kanae shrugged it off as if she had told her nothing she did not already know. She figured the girl just need a little encouragement to help sort out her feelings.

On her way back to the Grand Archweaver's office, she stopped to pick up her things from the laboratory. Kyoko had only started reading the section in the book Kuu showed her before she was summoned. She was curious to learn more as it seemed to give a decent explanation of the concept behind energy transference and she was not about to leave it behind. A nagging feeling in the back of her mind told her she might need it.

The two men were surprised to see her with a look of such determined confidence when she returned to Lory's office. Kuu noticed she had the book from earlier clutched in her hand and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly. She had taken his advice seriously. After the Grand Archweaver gave her instructions as to where to meat Commander Shingai along with a few words of encouragement, Kuu stepped forward and offered his hand, which she shook firmly after a moment's pause.

"I know you wish you had more time to prepare but you should already have everything you need," he inclined his head towards her and she nodded in response with a grim smile. "Go, find him and bring him back."

When she left, Lory turned to him, surprised, "I thought for sure you would have bogarted your way into going with her to help."

"I'm letting the younger generation have a chance at heroics," he replied thoughtfully. "Besides, I may be powerful, but _she's_ holding the trump card they'll never see coming."

* * *

It was fortunate for Kyoko that she would not have to set foot in the Altrian facility. Upon her arrival at the designated outpost, she was shown to a communications room and given a large map. It was impossible to not be nervous when everyone looked at her with such hopeful and expectant eyes. She asked for a pencil and paper on which to draw what she would see once she tried to pinpoint Kuon's location.

Everyone was respectful and gave her complete silence when she shut her eyes tightly to focus on the signature of her amulet's mate. She swallowed a gasp when she found him; the orb of light his amulet emitted was so dim she could just make it out. From there, she slowly tried to expand her view outward to look at the areas surrounding him. There was a hallway with a distinctive curve, several doors on either side and one door at its end. That was the furthest she was able to see so she did her best to commit what she could to memory.

"He's there," she said at last with a sigh. "Let me sketch out what I was able to see before I forget it and I'll answer what questions I can afterwards."

While her artistic ability was not remarkable, she was still able to create a decent rendering of what she saw. In the interest of providing as many details as possible, she drew both an overhead and point-of-view version. When they compared it against the layouts they had, it took some time to figure out precisely where her drawing matched up. However, one of the operatives who helped gather information for the layout said the hallway looked familiar and pointed to a southeast area of the diagram. Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief; it was a match.

"The door at the end of the hall should lead to the room where he is," Kyoko explained. "He was not moving when I located him so he may be unconscious or tied up."

Thus began the planning phase and everyone was assigned a responsibility. Kyoko was to remain in the communications room to help answer questions and use her ability to tell them if they were getting close. Two attendants would be manning the communication console—a large panel of dials, screens and buttons along the far wall of the otherwise sparsely equipped room—and relaying messages to her as needed. All other personnel in the room not actively participating in the mission would be on standby.

Everything would start in an hour's time so Kyoko sat in the corner of the room with the book she brought with her. She had read through most of it on the way to the outpost and found the information contained therein fairly helpful. One paragraph in particular caught her interest and she turned again to the page where it was to read it again:

 _Using the term 'energy transference' between bonded stones is, in all actuality, a misnomer as there is technically no transference between the stones. Instead, each piece is—for lack of a less obvious description—part of a whole. As such, they are technically used as one stone. It is only the apprehension and mutual respect on the part of the bonded users that lends itself to the belief that they are separate. Most users will assume that there is a definite boundary between their energy and that of their counterpart when, in fact, no such boundary exists. Once the user of a bonded stone accepts this premise, only the relationship between the two users will dictate the effectiveness with which each can use the bond._

For being written so plainly, she was surprised at how difficult the concept was for her to grasp. It just did not make sense to her since both she and Kuon used their amulets separate from each other for years before they reunited. However, the book implied that she had some sort of mental block preventing her from using the stone fully. She hoped to use what little time she had remaining to overcome this hurdle.

* * *

The extraction team was extremely successful in surreptitiously infiltrating the facility and things seemed to be going according to plan. Their position was being closely monitored by one of the communications attendants while the other spoke short commands into their headset. Kyoko saw the flicker of distress cross the face of the attendant who spoke before they turned around to beckon her to approach the console.

"One of our operatives has something to tell you," they said plainly as she walked towards them and stood where she could hear the intercom.

"I'm ready, tell them to go ahead," she watched the attendant push two buttons and a faint crackle filled the once quiet room.

"Weaver Mogami, we… seem to have encountered a bit of a problem," a voice came over the intercom.

"What is it?" she asked anxiously.

"We located the room but the door appears to be spell-locked from the inside," the voice spoke again. "There is no lock or handle for our equipment to disable nor can we force it open."

Her hands slammed into the console in front of her in frustration. Hanging her head, she closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths to try clearing her mind. They had made it so far only to be shut out by a damned door. She growled and snapped her eyes open; there had to be _something_ she could do. Her pendant swayed gently in front of her bowed head causing her eyes to have difficulty focusing on it as it was so close. As it swung towards her nose, she saw two amulets, and then only one when it swung away. Suddenly, the scattered puzzle pieces of thought in her mind coalesced and she knew what had to be done.

"Tell them to stand by but be ready to move fast as this will probably trigger an alarm; I have an idea," she told the person sitting to her left at the console and then looked behind her. "Can someone here see if they can pull away one of the Healers we have on hold to receive the hostage? I don't know how badly this is going to affect me and I'd rather not have you distracted with helping me while trying to give your people orders."

A younger Defender sprinted out the door with a nod and returned mere moments later with a Healer who doubled over trying to catch his breath before going to her side with his bag of supplies.

"Sorry in advance for the bluntness," she told the Healer. "But, I'm probably going to pass out and you're helping me when that happens."

He nodded at her and began to rifle through his bag in preparation. Kyoko had no idea if closing her eyes was necessary, but she did it anyway to help her focus. She also did not know if what she was about to do would be successful as she only had a general idea of how she would accomplish it. Nevertheless, she was determined to try anything that could potentially work. Otherwise, she would be returning to the Main Edifice without him and she was _not_ going to allow that to happen.

' _It's an extension of myself, just like he told me before,'_ she thought, trying to get herself into the right mindset. ' _I just need to think of it as if I'm using my own amulet. There is no barrier. Our stones are one and the same. He needs my help. I can do this. I'm getting him back.'_

An almost eerie calm washed over her and her turbulent mind settled down. Picturing the stone as it once was when they were younger—before Kuon severed it into two pieces— she smiled at the memory and it helped her focus. With that image in her head, she took a deep breath and pushed outwards with everything she had. She knew there would be no second attempt so she was going to make this one count.

* * *

Kuon was actively ignoring his captor's idle pacing in the room when a sharp tingling sensation started in his chest. It had radiated out to the tips of his fingers and toes by the time he registered what was happening. He felt a burst of energy surge outward from himself and was oddly thankful that he was still restrained against the chair. A shockwave pulsed through the room with him at the epicenter. Seeing Reino's body as it was flung forcefully into a wall was more satisfying to him than the sight of four figures stealthily entering the room once the door had been blown open.

Two of them went to work freeing him from his bindings. He made sure to caution against touching the chair itself as he figured out that it had to be the only thing responsible for keeping his energy drained when no one else in the room ever seemed to be affected. The other two apprehended Reino while he was still disoriented from the blast. Held up between the shoulders of his two rescuers, he stumbled out of the room and gave one last look to the man on the ground who was currently receiving restraints of his own. The look of bewildered anger on his face made Kuon smirk.

He he threw a small nod at Reino as he trudged past, "Kyoko sends her regards."

* * *

Kyoko staggered backwards from where she stood at the console and the Healer immediately grabbed her arm and helped her into a nearby chair. He checked her pulse and pupils as she sat in a daze, breathing heavily. She heard rapid instructions being called out by the attendants in headsets and hoped she managed to get the door open. It certainly felt like she had.

"We have him in custody and he is being transported back here," one attendant looked back and told her quickly.

"Oh, thank goodness," she gasped between breaths. "Thank goodness."

With that, she let her eyes close and her body sag limply in the chair.

* * *

 **THANKS WAITING SO PATIENTLY, EVERYONE: Seriously, I probably should have expected so many of you to comment after the way I left things. Shout outs to pancakesareabsoluetlydelicious (I wholeheartedly agree), DreamIdol, Shizuhoe, zealith, SilverInu93, cleocat333, J Luc Pitard (your username is awesome, btw), michiyo, Guest (so mysterious and anonymous) and Blushweaver for your overwhelming response after the last chapter. I'm about a third of the way into the next chapter so I will see you all the same time next week!**

 **AUTHOR OUT!**


	16. Loom

**SORRY I'M LATE: I actually have no excuses other than this chapter took me a lot longer to write than I anticipated.**

* * *

After his recent bout of sleeping only to wake again still feeling tired, it was a welcome change to be fully rested again. Kuon opened his eyes and stared at the stark, white ceiling above him, breathing a content sigh. It was good to be past that whole unpleasant experience. His thoughts then turned to Kyoko, pondering where she was and if she was alright. He used his amulet to contact her and heard light, musical laughter bubbling forth in the room.

"If you'd actually turn your head, you will see I'm right here," he could not describe the joy that overcame him at the sound of her voice.

"So you are," he turned in the direction of her voice and saw her sitting beside his bed, smiling. "A much better face to wake up to than Reino's."

She winced, hoping the memory of his captivity was not too painful. The Healers said they found no evidence that he had been physically injured but that did not mean there was no mental or emotional damage. He still had his sense of humor, it seemed, so she was hopeful. Sitting up in the bed, he motioned for her to come closer. Kyoko rose from the chair without hesitation and walked over to him. Once she was close enough, he reached out and wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace.

"You saved me," he rested his nose against the base of her neck and inhaled, wondering if she always smelled so delightfully like a field of wildflowers. He took a moment to relish it

"Well, if I recall correctly, I owed you one," a breathy giggle came from where her head rested on his shoulder.

"Can I tell you how very impressed I am that you were able to remotely use a draft?" he pulled back and looked at her in awe.

"Oh, I can't take all the credit for that. I had a little help," she smirked at his puzzled look. "A very nice older gentleman—who looks very much like you, coincidentally enough—helped me with my research and gave me a bit of advice.

"What was my father doing there?" he frowned.

Kyoko recounted her accidental meeting with the legendary former Superior Grand Archweaver and her subsequent flustered reaction. Kuon smiled mirthfully as her hands moved animatedly as she told him about their interactions. It was not exactly the way he wanted to introduce her to his family, but he would have to take it. To think of all she went through just to help him, he was reverential.

"Thank you," he quickly pulled her into a hug again.

"Anytime," she croaked out, surprised by the sudden motion.

He chuckled lightly into her hair, "I'm holding you to that."

"I hope you don't mind, I took the liberty of re-applying your camouflage before you woke up," she said timidly as she gently pulled away from him. "I figured the less people who know who you really are, the better."

"It wouldn't have mattered anyway," he shrugged, keeping her close with one hand resting against her hip. "Both the Defenders and Healers have a file on me regarding my identity. One, because it was a matter of national security and the other for medical history reasons. Thankfully, both guilds are required to have a decent track record with confidentiality."

"And here I thought I was one of the few who were in on it," she pouted.

"I guess you'll just have to settle for being one of the few who knows about this," he pointed at his amulet.

"Speaking of which," her pout intensified with her lower lip jutting forward. "You still have quite a bit of explaining to do about that."

"Yes, I suppose I do," he scratched idly at his neck and wondered where to begin.

"That can wait until later," she placed a hand on his chest. "For now, we need to attend a debriefing before we can leave. I still have to go pack up my things so I will meet up with you there."

Without thinking, he placed his hand over hers and held it against him before she could pull it away. Her eyes met his and the faintest blush washed over her cheeks. Their faces were so close, a fact of which he was painfully aware. His gaze drifted down to her lips and he nearly gave in to his urge to touch them with his own and see if they were still as soft as he remembered from when they brushed against his face several days earlier. A knock on the door to his room dispelled the rapture of the moment and they quickly broke apart to see a young Healer entering with a tray of food. Kyoko politely excused herself with a pointed request that he eat _all_ of his food before leaving his room. He did so, dutifully, while she went to pack and try desperately to cool the burning in her face.

The debriefing was an unfortunately long and arduous process as both Spellweavers were required to answer questions regarding their individual roles in the recent developments. Thankfully, they were both able to go through it together; something which allowed them to corroborate each other's stories when they skillfully skirted around the details behind Kyoko's actions during the extraction. It was not due to any distrust of the Defenders but the last thing either of them wanted was to entertain any notions of weaponizing their abilities. The irony was not lost on them then they asked about the fate of Reino and were informed that he would be used as a bargaining chip against Altria. His recent transgressions would cost the country any advantage they believed they possessed in further negotiations.

The results of Kuon's physical and psychological evaluations cleared him to be released. Lieutenant Inspector Konoe bid them farewell personally, pulling both of them, unwittingly, into a tight embrace and fervently expressing his relief that they emerged from the ordeal unscathed. He arranged private transportation for them to return to the city away from public view. The isolation would provide the perfect opportunity for both of them to discuss the topic that he had been avoiding and she was trying to ignore. Sitting side-by-side in the transport, they could only engage in so much light conversation before one of them eventually broached the topic. It was no surprise that Kyoko gave in first.

"I read the book you gave me along with another which both mentioned some… interesting traditions in which the type of stone we share is used," she swallowed the lump forming in her throat. "However, as I didn't want to make an incorrect assumption, I wanted to see if you would tell me yourself if any of it was applicable to the portion of the stone you shared with me."

He sighed lightly looking upward before briefly closing his eyes, "When my mother gave me that stone as a child, it was meant to be shared only with my intended spouse in the future," he explained. "It is a tradition in her family for each male to receive one. Once we find the person we want to spend the rest of our lives with, we are to gift a piece of the stone to them."

The look on Kyoko's face was a clear indication of the thoughts flying through her head. He shook his head and placed a hand on hers where it rested in her lap, "When I gave you that stone, you were not unknowingly entered into a betrothal with me. I… regret the confusion this has caused."

"So, why _did_ you give it to me?"

"I became disillusioned at a young age and believed that anyone who showed interest in me was only due to my name and lineage and the last thing I wanted was to give anyone of that sort exclusive access to my energy and abilities," he said with bitterness in his voice. "You were the first real friend I had that neither knew, nor cared, about any of that. I thought you were a… safe option."

"Safe?!" she looked taken aback.

He sighed again but continued, "I didn't expect to ever see you again. It was a risk I took; giving it to someone who knew nothing of my family and would potentially never cross paths with me again. I feel like I used you and I'm not very happy with myself for that. Considering your recent history, I'm even more regretful. You deserve better than that and you have every right to be angry with me."

Kyoko sat silently for several minutes in thought. Kuon watched the sunlight flicker across her face, scattered by the quickly passing trees. She had a rather placid expression and did not seem upset. While her brow did wrinkle slightly for a moment, it smoothed out just as rapidly. He patiently waited for her to break the silence on her own, not wanting to push her for a response.

"I… am not angry with you," she said finally. "I suppose I should be, but I'm not."

"May I ask why?"

"As much as I'd like to say that I was mature enough at the age of six to understand anything you explained if you _had_ told me why you shared your stone with me, I can't reasonably say that," she shrugged. "However, the fact that you considered why I would be the better option means that, although you were using me as a means to escape, you also trusted me."

"I suppose I did," he said quietly. "I never thought about it that way."

"Not to mention that, since we have become reacquainted, you have not once used me or the bond through our stones for your own benefit," her eyes were wide as she spoke earnestly. "Even before you told me who you were, you treated me with nothing but respect. While our situation does cause some unease, I cannot be upset with you."

She was right, of course. However her calm reasoning rendered him speechless. He was prepared to apologize and grovel profusely but her logical acceptance had him at a loss. Of course, there was the matter of his growing feelings towards her but that was not something he felt would be an appropriate follow-up to this conversation. Besides, how exactly would you tell someone—to whom you are arbitrarily-but-not-really engaged—that you did not exactly propose to them but you still wish to have the option to do so properly at a later time?

"I'm sorry," he blurted out before he could stop himself.

"Now, now," she chided him, playfully. "What was it you told me some time ago about apologizing? I believe it was something about admitting you made a mistake and moving on to find a solution?"

He let out a chuckle and smiled warmly at her, "Well, I think I already have the first part of that covered. I'm not so sure about the second; as far as I know there is no way to undo a dual bond."

"I have no desire to sever the bond," she shook her head, returning his smile with sparkling eyes. "Besides, you had the second part covered already when you said you wanted us to spend more time together before you left. Perhaps, we can figure out the rest as we go along?"

His smile only widened at this. He already waged an internal battle with himself earlier after their encounter in his recovery room. The last thing he wanted to do was make any unwanted advances towards her but, between the intensity of her gaze when she looked at him and the way she managed to use his stone without being present caused him to wonder what, if any, was the extent of her feelings towards him. She was making it increasingly difficult to silence the hope that began whispering conspiratorially in his ear from the moment her lips innocently touched his cheek on the terrace that afternoon before he left the city. Still, it did not seem as if she was shying away from his attention. In fact, she appeared to be meeting it head-on. It could not hurt to see where she was willing to let it lead, could it?

"I think that's an excellent idea," he agreed.

* * *

"So, you're not sticking around until he comes back?" Lory watched as Kuu made his way to the office door to leave.

The Grand Archweaver received word that his two Spellweavers would be returning following the successful extraction. He relayed this to Kuu, who had been frequenting his office and worriedly requesting updates. Now that things had taken a turn for the better, the man seemed to be content to leave with the knowledge that his son was safe.

"That was not a part of our agreement," Kuu reminded his friend. "Julie and I will see him when he makes the choice to return home."

"I understand."

"That paperwork on your desk," he motioned to the stack sitting in front of Lory. "Is that for what I think it is?"

"I am… considering it, yes," the Grand Archweaver inclined his head.

"The bar has been set fairly high at this point, but these were extraordinary circumstances," Kuu nodded at him in understanding. "I don't envy your decision."

Having said his piece, the man left the office while Lory continued to ponder of the papers before him. The decision itself had already been made. However, the details had yet to be established as he was not yet sure whether or not the situation required a greater or lesser action. There was time yet to think on it.

* * *

Rumors began circulating around the campus about the two Spellweavers in their absence, as rumors are wont to do. At first, the two were not connected as no one could fathom that their disappearances were related, especially when Kyoko was seen on campus while Ren was not. In fact, the majority of the rumors started with only the Archweaver as the subject of interest as he did not frequently leave the campus for extended periods of time. It was not until they returned together and were seen spending their leisure time in each other's company that the younger Class 1 was suddenly a fascinating anomaly.

"I think my favorite one yet is that you bewitched him with some dark sorcery," Kanae laughed heartily with her friend as they shared a meal.

"That would explain the hex bags that were thrown at me the other day," Kyoko wiped a tear from her eye between giggles. "I didn't realize people still knew how to make those. It's not as if they ever worked."

"Well, at the very least, you're encouraging the girls to do some research so I guess it's not all bad," her friend tilted with a grin. "So, what is the _real_ story between you two? I was sent out of town not long after you got back so I feel like I missed something important apart from the story of your daring rescue mission."

"Nothing, really," she shrugged. "We decided to spend time together outside of what we do for the guild and get to know each other."

"And?" the other woman prompted.

"And what?"

"There are only a handful of reasons a man and a woman would spend time together outside of work," Kanae said impatiently. "I already know how _you_ feel about him, so what gives?"

"I don't know," she shrugged. "I feel like there's something there, but if we try for anything more, what if we can't go back to the way we were when it doesn't work out?"

Her best friend stared at her as if she had suddenly grown a second head, "You two obviously enjoy hanging out together, Grand Archweaver Takarada keeps pairing you two up for projects like you're some sort of dream team and, hell, you've _both_ saved each other's lives. How exactly would it not work out?"

"I-It just could, that's all," Kyoko mumbled, playing idly with her spoon.

She wished she could tell her friend about her amulet but knew she could not do so without revealing the secret she swore to keep. So many 'what ifs' and 'maybes' plagued her and refused to get out of her head. The biggest one, the one that haunted her even in her dreams, was that he would reveal his identity and choose to return to Cretia without her. There was no way some girl from a small town in Grismeir was going to measure up to the son of Kuu Hizuri. And she hated that the thought even crossed her mind, because she was never one to put stock in titles and names, but she could not deny that it bothered her in this instance.

"You don't think you're worthy of him," there was no intonation of a question in Kanae's voice; it was a statement of fact.

"I-I…" she faltered.

"You have one of the most powerful Archweavers in the guild hanging on your every word and treating you honorably and, somehow, you think you'll be nothing but some immaterial fling to him?"

"Kanae, you don't understand…" she began when her friend cut her off.

"No, Kyoko, that's as much of an insult to him as it is to you, if not more so," Kanae scolded her sharply. "You two seemed to be able to talk things through before. Why not now?"

"This is different," Kyoko sighed.

"It is not, and you know it," the other woman snapped. "Do you really think so little of him, or is it just yourself?"

"You know that's not true."

"Well it certainly seems like it," Kanae scoffed indignantly. "Don't do this to him and don't do this to yourself. If you are as close as you sound like you are, then you owe it to yourselves to be honest."

She got up from their table and went to pay for her food before leaving a dumbfounded Kyoko still sitting. After finishing her own meal, she glumly made her way out onto the street. What hurt the most was that her friend was absolutely right and she knew very well she was just finding excuses to run away from their feelings. It was not as if she was blind; she noticed the smiles, glances, light touches and the overall affectionate undertones when he contacted her through her amulet. However, that did not stop her from trying to ignore them. After the way things turned out the last time she walked down this path, she was weary of trying again, but Kanae was right. This was different; _he_ is different.

* * *

There was a light knock on his door before Kyoko announced herself through his amulet. He responded permissively so that she knew to let herself in. It had only been a week since he finally got around to showing her how the draft he used to link doors together actually worked. They both agreed to link their residence doors together with the caveat that they would respect each other's boundaries by requesting permission before entering. She walked into his entryway to find him standing in the hall. He probably only just returned home as he was still wearing his cloak.

"What brings you by? I thought you were having dinner with Kanae," he arched an eyebrow at her. "Not that I'm complaining. It's always a pleasure to see you."

"I—well…" she stammered, shyly walking towards him.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked, genuinely concerned. "Do you need anything?"

"… Yes," she stood before him now, her arms tentatively reaching up.

"What?" he asked breathlessly, staring at her widened eyes. She almost appeared as if she were in a trance.

"What you should have done after you woke up in that recovery room."

And, before he could ask what she meant by that, her fingers dug into his cloak, yanking him downwards and pressing her lips firmly against his.

* * *

 **WHOA, WHAT?!: Yea, you read that right. I actually had very few notes as to how this chapter would go but it sort of poured out of my head and I think it works. Would love to see it go down like that in the actual manga but who even knows when that's ever going to happen? (Apologies, Nakamura-sensei, I still love you!)**

 **Thanks again to everyone for the awesome outpouring of good vibes. I'm so glad you all enjoyed the exciting and nail-biting rescue. It was almost as fun to write as Kuon's snarky dialogue with Reino. I love me some good snark so writing him like that made me immensely happy. We're nearing the end, everyone, and I know I'm going to be heartbroken to see this story finish, but it has been a fun ride with all of you coming along with me. See you next week!**

 **AUTHOR OUT!**


	17. Woven

**NOTHING TO SEE HERE, KEEP READING: I know you've been waiting for this continuation anyway.**

* * *

Kyoko certainly caught him off guard with that move. However, once the initial shock faded, a tiny squeak jumped from her throat as his arms wrapped tightly around her, bringing her body closer to his. Her hands snaked up from where they gripped the front of his cloak to encircle his neck. There was this delightful mind-numbing tingle all over as his mouth slid over hers and he was happy to confirm that, yes, her lips were indeed as soft as he remembered. She must have eaten dessert for all he tasted was the sweetness of fruit and pastry. His hand crept up to rest at the base of her neck and he was about to tilt his head further when he paused and pulled away slightly. Her lips chased fervently after his and he struggled—rather enjoyably, if he was honest—to speak between kisses.

"Kyok—mmph… wait, hold on," he finally got a moment to catch his breath and held her face with one hand. "It's not as if I'm hating this—far from it, actually. But, what brought this on so suddenly?"

She lifted her shoulders slightly, "I was… testing out a theory."

"Theory?"

"That you felt the same way about me as I do about you."

"And it never occurred to you to just ask me?" he was confused, incredulous even, but the lingering euphoria made it not altogether unpleasant.

"I could have," she shrugged, looking only remotely thoughtful then grinned. "But this way was much more efficient, don't you think? Both of our questions are answered and neither one of us had to carefully choose our wording so as not to potentially upset the other person."

He gaped at her with impossibly wide eyes, she tilted her head curiously and asked, "Was there something wrong with my methodology?"

"Sometimes, I think you're too smart for your own good," his deep, rumbling laughter spilled forth.

"There is no need to be petty just because I thought of it first," she teased.

"Have you been spending too much time around me or were you always this sardonic?"

"What can I say? You bring out the best in me," giggles poured from her mouth at his expression and he contemplated a witty retort for a moment but decided on a different approach instead. Kyoko's giggles immediately stopped, having been replaced by a hum of approval as their lips met again.

What precisely were they at that point? It was a question they posed to each other, albeit in different words. They decided it was not prudent to go about placing labels on things willy-nilly, as if they needed to have one in the first place. As far as they were concerned, nothing had changed. And yet, everything had changed. Similarly, though their relationship was still as it once was, it was also now as it should have been. There were too many constants mixed in with too many variables for any succinct identifier to apply so they, wisely, gave up on trying. Making anything official was not going to stop the already bustling rumor mill—not that they cared to, really—so, why bother? Kyoko likened it to answering a difficult question on her Provisional exams; there was no harm in leaving the question blank until you came up with a better answer for it. Kuon knew what he would prefer to call to her, but he was willing to wait until a time when it was appropriate to use.

* * *

It never occurred to her to ask why Kanae was back in town when they met up for dinner that evening two days prior. Usually, her time away from campus was much longer than just several weeks, but Kyoko was always happy to see her best friend so nothing seemed off about it. Likewise, nothing seemed off about being asked to report to one of the small auditoria at four o'clock. Granted, it coincided with the usual time and place for the individual designation ceremonies that were held on occasion but she assumed either her assistance was needed or someone she knew was receiving a new rank. Suffice it to say, she was quite surprised to arrive and find that she was the guest of honor when she saw the familiar faces that were gathered.

While most designations were typically done in groups at regular intervals throughout the year, it was not uncommon for ceremonies to be held for one or two people in the interim as the review panels saw fit. As such, smaller rooms like this one were used for these events rather than gathering a small number of people in an oversized hall. They were laid out similarly to their larger counterparts; rows of deep green chairs lined up with their backs to the door behind them and facing a small raised stage and podium. Neutral, earthy tones adorned the walls and floor and spell lamps brightly illuminated the podium and stage while keeping the rest of the room in partial shadow.

On the stage at the front of the room stood Grand Archweaver Takarada at the podium. Four chairs were lined up behind him, two of which were currently occupied by Kuon—well, he was Ren at the current moment—and Maria; the latter of whom was all smiles and chatting animatedly with the man beside her. In the audience, despite the dim lighting, she recognized the robes of Scribes Sawara and Yashiro and beside them, Maven Woods. Hikaru somehow managed to drag his brothers along with him and they all grinned at her as she stood at the door, her hand still resting on the handle. Even a number of the Provisionals she worked with managed to get permission from their classes to attend. Kanae stood near the door and greeted her with a small smile.

"What is going on?! I had no idea about any of this."

"Well, it was supposed to be a surprise, so that's kind of the point," Kanae rolled her eyes, trying to usher her away from the door when the young woman stopped and placed a hand on her arm.

"I wanted to thank you, you know. I took your advice…again," she whispered, nodding towards where Ren sat behind the podium.

"I wondered why I had the urge to slap the grin off his face that he's had plastered on there all day," her friend gave a wry smile. "Congratulations. Now, pull your hood up and let's get this over with!"

Kanae swiftly led her best friend towards the podium, past the several rows of occupied chairs. Kyoko waved happily at the familiar faces who waved excitedly back. As the honoree, she was directed to the seat furthest from where Lory stood, beside an ecstatic Maria. Giving the girl a small hug, she sat down and watched as her friend proceeded to sit in the last empty chair immediately to Ren's right. She glanced at the Archweaver and gave him an accusatory look accompanied by a similar sentiment through his amulet to convey that she would have appreciated some warning about all of this. He merely shook his head in response with a roguish smile and turned his attention towards where the Grand Archweaver stood.

"I thought for sure that you'd be the one giving this to her," Kanae whispered to the man seated to her left as she fiddled with the cord in her hands.

"The Grand Archweaver offered the opportunity when he told me of his decision," Ren shrugged and whispered back. "But I told him that this was an honor that belonged solely to you."

"Hmmph, guess I'll have to say something nice about you at your wedding after all," she snorted.

"I'll be looking forward to it," he quipped just before the Grand Archweaver began to speak.

"Kyoko Mogami, for your ingenuity, quick thinking and overall remarkable skill with advanced drafts, you have been unanimously approved for a special designation as a Master rank Spellweaver," he said, following his brief opening remarks and Kyoko wondered exactly what he meant by that. "You have displayed the talent and ability expected of a Weaver of this rank. Please, come forward so that I may confer your new designation."

When she approached the podium, Kanae stepped forward as the presenter of her regalia and she saw the gold cord resting in her best friend's hands. As she got closer, she noticed the cord was slightly different from the other currently adorning her cloak. The light hit it at just the right angle for her to see subtle, lighter colored stars woven into the braid at evenly spaced intervals and she gasped. She had only ever seen a handful of these during her time at the guild but she knew exactly what they meant. This was the mark of Recommended Status. Once she decides to undergo evaluation for promotion to Archweaver, she would be able to bypass the first two rounds of candidate elimination and straight to final consideration. She immediately understood why Lory stated it was a 'special' designation.

Tears glistened in Kyoko's eyes as her friend held the cord up and activated the draft that stitched it onto her hood. She watched it float up and felt the slight added weight on her head as it attached itself to her cloak. It may have been a small gathering of people, but their loud cheers and applause made the room feel much bigger. She was pulled into a tight hug once the draft completed its work.

"Don't you _dare_ go thinking that you don't deserve this, Kyoko," Kanae whispered fiercely. "Because you absolutely do."

"Thank you," she suppressed a sob long enough to reply.

"Just make sure you're the one doing this when my designation comes around, alright?" she pulled away and looked her squarely in the eye. "Then, we'll call it even."

"Deal," Kyoko said with an enthusiastic nod.

Maria tugged innocently at the bottom of her cloak when she and Kanae separated from their embrace. Bending down to pick up the small girl, their cheeks pressed flush against each other as tiny arms hugged excitedly at her neck. She told Kyoko she could not wait to see her 'big sister' become even more powerful and she hoped to become a Spellweaver as great as her someday. After wiping at an errant tear that threatened to escape, she thanked the girl and gently placed her back on her feet with a kiss on her forehead.

Grand Archweaver Takarada went next and shook her hand before he also gave her a hug, "I was almost prepared to convince the review panel to promote you directly to Archweaver but I realized you most likely wanted to work your way up to that. At the very least, I gave you a head start."

Kyoko nodded and a grateful smile accompanied her thanks before he stepped aside to let the taller man standing behind him have his turn. She peered up at him from beneath her hood and mirrored the wide smile on his face. His arms opened to her in invitation and she walked into them without hesitating, her own arms coming to rest around his waist. Her hood began falling backwards with all of the movement and he gently pushed it the rest of the way and winked at her. Cocking her head slightly, she had only the span of a blink to be puzzled before he leaned in to kiss her fully on the mouth. The cheers from the audience suddenly turned into scandalous hoots, whistles and—from the female Provisionals, at least—gleeful squeals.

"What do you think you're doing?!" she asked breathlessly when he pulled away.

"Giving the rumor mill some fresh material," he grinned. "The stories have been rather bland lately."

In the far back of the room, the person seated in the shadowed corner got up and walked quietly out of the door while everyone else was rushing to the stage to express their congratulations. Kanae narrowed her eyes at the retreating figure and shrugged to herself. She did not think he would actually be present. Technically, he was not invited, but she made sure to place the right whispers in the right ears to see if she could lure him out. A crooked smile formed on her face when the auditorium door closed quietly. Well, he was bound to find out one way or another. She saw Ren looking at her out of the corner of her eye; turning towards him, she noted the confused frown on his face as he slightly jerked his head towards the door. Raising a finger to her lips, she shook her head dismissively and he nodded his understanding. It was the best gift she thought to give her friend—no more snide remarks, shouting matches or emotional manipulation—he got to witness firsthand that he no longer had any power over her. Kyoko now had numerous people who care about her and encourage her advancement. There is a saying that the best revenge is a life well lived; it was always one of Kanae's favorites.

* * *

Maria insisted on hosting a small dinner party after the ceremony to celebrate Kyoko's new designation and far be it from her grandfather to not indulge her. The newly-minted Master Weaver sputtered several protests that such an event was not necessary but to no avail. Her best friend told her simply to shut up and enjoy the evening, eliciting a snort from the tall Archweaver who walked beside her. It turned out to be a delightful meal with a few select friends and she enjoyed herself immensely. Once their tiny hostess was forced to retire for the night, and the last of the guests left with one final congratulatory remark, she found herself on the manor's terrace with Kuon, enjoying the cool night air. They stood in silence for a while before he finally spoke.

"I'd been meaning to give you something but I wasn't sure when the best time would be."

"Says the man who kissed me in front of a crowd of people," she scoffed and he gave her a sheepish—though not entirely apologetic—look.

Pulling it out from his cloak, he placed a square, flat box into her hands and motioned for her to open it. The soft paper lining the inside seemed familiar to her though she could not quite place it at the moment. Carefully lifting the layers, the familiarity suddenly made sense when she saw what lay within; a pink and grey rhodonite bracelet. This one was different from the bracelet she saw in Maven Woods' studio as the delicate bangle was not smooth but intricately carved with interlocking swirls and loops. She ran her finger along the carving with a smile.

"Considering the last bit of jewelry you own that I was involved in was more of a do-it-yourself project," he pointed to her amulet with a wry smile. "I figured I'd ask Miss Woods to help me out this time. I noticed how much you liked the one you saw in her studio so I asked her to make another variation of it."

"Why?"

He paused for a moment and then shrugged, "As a thank you for saving my life? As a congratulations on your designation? As a declaration of my undying love for you? Pick one."

Kyoko's brow arched upward, "That last one is a bit of a weighty sentiment for such a small bracelet."

"Well, I unfortunately set the bar unnecessarily high with your amulet stone," he chuckled. "I think anything I give you after that will pale terribly in comparison."

"That's what you get for proposing to me in such a careless manner," she joked. "And when I was six years old, no less!"

"So, does that mean I need to make an exceedingly grand gesture when I actually _do_ mean it?" he amusedly pondered out loud. "Or can I just ask you on a random day in the laboratory while we're in the middle of a project? You already have the stone so I'm trying to gauge the level of effort you're expecting from me."

She laughed, long and loud, at this, "I'll leave that decision entirely up to you. After that stunt you pulled in the auditorium, I don't doubt you'll come up with something… creative."

"I'm not proposing to you at your Archweaver designation, if that's what you're thinking," he pouted.

"Of course not," she rolled her eyes mockingly. "Wait, why are we even talking about this?"

"You started it," he pointed out. "I was just trying to give you a gift."

Her face softened and she kissed him chastely on the lips, "Thank you, it's beautiful. I love the gift... and the giver."

Pulling her closer, he brought his lips back to hers and kissed her in a way that caused a curl in her toes and white static in her head, "I love you too, Kyoko."

* * *

 **MY WILL IS AS STRONG AS YOURS, AND MY KINGDOM AS GREAT: Sorry, that "no longer had any power over her" line reminded me so much of Labyrinth (which I LOVE) that I had no choice but to keep it in the final edit. Thank you all, AGAIN, for the amazing response to the last chapter. Special thanks to J Luc Pitard for pointing out something that I missed, much to my amusement and laughter. I followed the example of my characters and admitted my mistake and moved on. I _really_ need to get some gold star stickers so I can give them out.**

 **Do not fret, there is still an epilogue to come. It is mostly finished but I'm tweaking a few things here and there before I officially post it. I probably won't wait until next week to do it but I expect it will be no later than that.**

 **AUTHOR OUT!**


	18. EPILOGUE: Loose Ends

**EPILOGUE (Some years later)**

"I see you're working hard, Grand Archweaver Hizuri," Kyoko's long, dark hair fluttered behind her as she swiftly strode into the office and stopped to lean against the desk at which the man was sitting.

"Well, someone has to while you're out on social calls, Grand Archweaver Hizuri," Kuon stood from his seat to kiss his wife. "How was lunch with Kanae?"

"Full of insignificant complaints about being on the Council and spurious threats to have one of us take her place, as usual," her eyes were laughing and he could tell she had an enjoyable visit with her best friend.

"Just because my father was Superior Grand Archweaver doesn't mean I want to be," he grimaced. "But you are more than welcome to do so if you want."

"You know I turned it down the first time they offered it to me and I haven't changed my mind," she shook her head and grinned at him. "Besides, someone needs to stay here and keep an eye on you. That's the whole reason we share this office."

"And here I thought it was to keep the overly flirtatious Weavers from approaching me," the corner of his mouth lifted into a teasing smirk.

"Well, it's nice to know you can compliment yourself," she mocked, patting him on the arm. "That's one less thing for me to do."

"Speaking of things to do," he ignored the barb and jabbed a thumb in the direction of her desk. "There's a stack of requisitions over there that need your attention. You might want to tackle those so we can go home at a reasonable hour this evening. Just because my parents are babysitting doesn't mean we can stay here all night."

"You never used to turn down a chance to spend the night alone with me," she said with a pout.

"I still wouldn't," wrapping his arms around her, he gazed intently into her eyes. "But I'd rather be doing something other than working."

"Touché," they indulged in a lingering kiss before she pushed him gently away, going to sit at her own desk.

* * *

It was a first for the Enchantment division of the Spellweaver guild, having a married couple jointly holding the office of Grand Archweaver. However, everyone agreed they did a more than commendable job at filling the role together than they ever would separately. Additionally, it safely kept them out of the running for the position of Superior Grand Archweaver since the Council would only allow one of them as a potential candidate. Instead, Kyoko encouraged her best friend to accept the nomination, knowing her level-headedness and common sense would make her a perfect fit. The Council apparently agreed and readily accepted her as the newest top representative of the Spellweaver guild.

Contrary to initial suspicions, Kuon did _not_ propose to her at her Archweaver designation ceremony. He waited until some time after that to convince her to take a vacation with him and brought her back to her home town of Kato. When they visited the stream where they first met, he asked her nonchalantly if she ever thought about changing the setting for her amulet. She eyed him warily and answered that she had not as she still liked the one she made herself. Reaching into his shirt, he pulled out his own amulet—which he had been conveniently hiding all weekend—and asked her if she would consider one like his. His stone was now clearly visible in its new setting of skillfully woven wire. Kyoko stood speechless as he began a heartfelt explanation of the two things he desired; to finally reveal his identity and for her to become his wife. The first order of business was completed upon their return to the Main Edifice. While nearly everyone was understandably surprised, they were also very supportive, after the announcement was made.

They married a year later in a ceremony they fought tooth-and-nail to keep small, despite the urgings of both his parents and Grand Archweaver Takarada. Kanae, true to her word, said some very nice things about both of them during the proceedings; Kyoko was glad she thought to keep a handkerchief tucked into her robes. Unwittingly, they started a new trend among Spellweavers who wished to wed by writing their Oaths of Partnership into a dually activated draft. Ribbons of light in shades of indigo, green and gold, wove themselves into an elaborate tapestry that arched above their heads and appeared to flutter in the breeze as they spoke their promises of commitment and love to each other. Weaver couples would be attempting to emulate it for years to come with only a select few coming somewhat close to the delicate intricacy of the original.

There was some measure of mental reconciliation Kyoko had to do to come to terms with the fact that she was a living legend in her own right, despite being married to one who just so happened to be the offspring of another. Following Kuon's revelation of his identity, their complemented amulet stones became the favored topic of idle discussion. Those who knew the story of the stone in her amulet prior to her reunion with Kuon, thought it a fitting end that she found the love of her life and her childhood friend in the same person. Between that and the highly exaggerated speculation about how she rescued Kuon from Altrian kidnappers with the abilities afforded by their bond, she was the living embodiment of a heroic protagonist from one of those children's stories that begins with "once upon a time" and ends with "happily ever after."

* * *

They walked, hand-in-hand, from the Main Edifice towards the Grand Archweaver's manor; Lory had long since retired and moved to the outskirts of the city now that his granddaughter was training as a Provisional. The last bits of sunlight peeked from the horizon, coloring the sky in reds and purples and oranges that were mottled here and there with the occasional cloud. She leaned slightly into the man who walked beside her and admired his profile. The fine lines that were starting to appear around his brilliant green eyes seemed to make him even more distinguished and handsome than he already was and were evidence of the many reasons he found to smile over the years. The unruly blond hair he would let haphazardly fall into his face was now neatly trimmed but still long enough for her to run her hands through as she always loved to do.

"You know, your mother is already asking me when we plan to give our son his stone now that he'll be turning ten soon," Kyoko lamented as they neared the entrance to their home. "You'd think she would want to wait after what happened with you."

"Well, he already knows our story, so I would hope he'd be a bit more cautious than I was," Kuon shrugged.

"Perhaps, but he is still very much your child," she reasoned jokingly. "There's no telling with that Hizuri blood running through his veins."

"True, but he's also yours as well. I think he'll do just fine," he countered with a smile.

"Flattery will get you anything, dear," she grinned, gripping his arm to pull him closer.

"I know, but I already have you."

\- FINIS -

* * *

 **HERE, AT THE END OF ALL THINGS: Well, everyone, it is the end of the road for this adventure. I hope you enjoyed yourselves and I'm grateful for each and every one of you who came along for the ride. This was such a fun world to create that I'm probably going to have withdrawal now that it's over. Never fear, I'm sure I'll be back with something new for you. And now for some parting words to some of my recent (and continual) reviewers:**

 **ladygraywolf: Thank you so much for such a descriptive review. I'm still blushing from the praise!**

 **cleocat333: You've been here since the beginning! Thanks for sharing your thoughts after each chapter. You have no idea how helpful and encouraging your words have been during this.**

 **psycobookcollector: Thank you so much for the kind words. I'm glad you enjoyed it!**

 **Michiyo: I do have a few more ideas I'm tossing around. If they do not become full-fledged stories, they will at least be added to my growing collection of one-shots under _Paperwork for a Week_**

 **DreamIdol: I had a good laugh writing that bit, too! When I started to write that part, it just sort of came to me and it was too great to not include. Thank you!**

 **J Luc Pitard: Getting Ren and Kyoko to kiss; the struggle is indeed real. I can build an extensive world and create adventures all day every day but, for some reason, getting those two to finally get it together is such a huge challenge… but it is one I enjoy immensely.**

 **Lotus Flower: Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed the final piece.**

 **PaulaGaTo: ¡Gracias por todo!**

 **Shadowheart: You're making me blush! Thank you!**

 **Setsuka e Cain: Thanks for following along since the beginning and for your awesome reactions to each chapter.**

 **Lennie: YOU'RE WELCOME AND THANK YOU!**

 **MWEH: I hope you're able to catch up on the chapters you missed! Thanks for joining us on the journey, it's been so much fun!**

 **JeremyVD: Thank you for the extensive and heartfelt review! I'm really glad that so many of you like the way in which I've portrayed the characters. It means a lot to me when I can write a story that's still faithful to the source material but in a completely different setting.**

 **Shizuhoe: Thank you, as always, for your encouragement! I love that you take the time to explain what you like about each chapter.**

 **Everyone else who dropped in to leave me a note (I did not forget about you): THANK YOU SO MUCH. I LOVE YOU ALL! YOU'RE THE BEST REVIEWERS AN AUTHOR COULD HOPE FOR!**

 **And, to my appointed-without-their-knowledge-or-permission idol author, Blushweaver: You have been an inspiration and a huge source of support while working on this. I'm looking forward to you and Im0t0u starting back up on your story so I can enjoy your updates while I take a small break and plot out my next one. Thank you for all that you do and keep up the amazing work!**

 **Keep an eye out for updates to my collection of one-shots ( _Paperwork for a Week_ ). I added a new one during my work hiatus and am currently working on a new addition.**

 **AUTHOR OVER AND OUT!**


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